Some TCU fans in San Antonio for Saturday's Alamo Bowl believe their team can still defeat Oregon, despite the arrest of their star quarterback Trevone Boykin.
TCU Coach Gary Patterson suspended Boykin from playing in Saturday's Alamo Bowl after he was charged with felony assault for striking an officer early Thursday morning outside a San Antonio bar.
Many TCU Horned Frog fans who crowded into the lobby of a San Antonio hotel where the football team is staying are standing by their team. Robert Whipple from Fort Worth, like a lot of the fans, is dressed in TCU’s trademark purple. He says Boykin has made some mistakes but the program isn’t built on one player.
“It’s built upon the heritage of what TCU’s done over many, many years. So we pray for Trevone, we hope he does well, but we’ll recover, and we’re going to move on from this point,” he says.
Police say, Boykin, 22, was fighting with employees at a bar near the city’s Riverwalk area shortly before 2 a.m. Police Chief William McManus says Boykin had been heckled at the bar before police arrived, but he doesn’t know whether Boykin was swinging at the police officer or at someone else. McManus says the officer had facial abrasions but otherwise is fine.
TCU fans Matt and Jonie Heinzelmann from Fort Worth are here to watch their team. They say they’re not passing judgment on Boykin’s actions.
“We’re disappointed. I don’t know all the facts. I know Trevone’s a good kid. We’ll give him the benefit of the doubt until all the facts come out,” he says.
“I agree with him,” she says. “He’s one player, and we believe in the whole team so we believe we’re going to win.”
Jaime Martinez from North Texas says the charges could damage Boykin’s future.
“He was projected to go pretty high in the draft so obviously that’s going to impact his standings. I know the Cowboys … they’ve been having some interest in him, but it doesn’t look like he’s going to be a first run prospect anymore.”
Boykin was a one-time Heisman Trophy contender. This would have been his final college game.