Another day...

[Captain Kangaroo]

Punter pleads innocent to underage drinking charge

The Associated Press

5/5/04 5:55 PM

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- An Ohio State punter pleaded innocent Wednesday to a charge of underage drinking , court documents showed.

Albert J. Trapasso, 18, appeared in Franklin County Municipal Court for his arraignment, according to court documents. A police report showed Trapasso was charged with underage drinking on April 25.

Messages seeking comment were left for Trapasso's attorney, Steven Brown, and athletic department spokesman Steve Snapp.

Trapasso's charge was the latest in a string of legal problems involving Ohio State football players. On Saturday, campus police charged tight end Louis Irizarry and tailback Ira Guilford with felony robbery . Ohio State coach Jim Tressel has suspended both players, who have a preliminary court date May 11.

Since Tressel was hired in January of 2001, there have been at least 14 incidents involving 15 players, according to an Associated Press search of court records. The problems include underage drinking , drunken driving , disorderly conduct , assault , falsification of a police report to theft :blink: , robbery , felony drug abuse and carrying a concealed weapon .

Trapasso, a 6-foot, 220-pound player from Central High School in Pickerington, punted three times in last month's annual intrasquad scrimmage.

[zipsbandman]

Gooooooooooooooooooo Buckeyes!

[Zipsrifle]

I am not a Buckeye fan but I don't think a college kid getting busted for under age drinking is news.

[I_Miss_You_Trey_71603]

He was like that in high school too. Apparently he wasn't all there during a playoff game last year. He is a great football player really fast. He'll be a good addition to the team despite his drinking issues. Maybe Jack Johnson will keep tabs on him.

[Captain Kangaroo]

On one hand I agree with you:

I drank at 18...probably over 50% of the 18 year olds in college today drink alcohol. I subscribe to the theory that if you can serve in the armed forces and vote, you should be able to drink too. The 21 year old minimum drinking age is a joke.

On the other hand, I disagree with you:

The problem of OSU football players getting arrested is out of control. I'm sure Tressel lectures his players daily regarding the abject embarassment he, the University and the respective players parents endure with every arrest. The kid has a scholarship to one of the top 5 football schools in the country. And he still goes out and gets arrested and embarasses all involved.

I don't think the kid should be kicked out of school or off the team. But, for any present OSU football player to knowingly go out in public and perform some stupid act that risks an arrest is just blatently ignorant.

It does make for great internet fodder however!

Here's to YOU, Mr. Underage Drinking Buckeye!

[I_Miss_You_Trey_71603]

I agree if men and women can fight at 18 they should be able to drink at 18. I dont think he'll be kicked off the team players have done worse than what he has done and a lot of people do it who play sports he just did it in public which was dumb. I hope he gets to see some playing time after what I've seen him done at Pickerington he can do a lot more at Ohio State

[Zipsrifle]

Yea, OSU players getting arrested is out of control. I'm sure Tressel has pointed this out since day one of his tenure. I don't think there is anything more he can do other than assign a chaperone to each player. Sure the kid should know better, but they are 18 year old kids in a college town, they are going to do dumb things. Besides, I'm sure that he was one of the few players on the team, that instead of making the best use of there scholarship dollar by having their nose in a book when not in class or at practice, (like they always do, especially at Colorado), are out living it up. We've all seen the movies where the college football players are studying all the time.