Pringle ‘Relieved’ After Going in the Sixth Round

Mike Pringle’s fear that his criminal record would outweigh his rushing records in the NFL draft proved unfounded Monday. The Cal State Fullerton running back was selected by the Atlanta Falcons in the sixth round--higher than most pre-draft projections.

“I was relieved,” said Pringle, who was the 139th pick overall and the second choice in the sixth round. “It really took a load off my mind.”

Pringle, who led the nation with 2,690 all-purpose yards last season, was concerned that his involvement in last Thursday’s brawl outside the Carnivale Club in Fullerton, in which teammate Clarence Siler was shot and wounded by an off-duty police officer, would hurt his draft status.

Pringle and Fullerton teammate Andrew Fears were arrested at about 2 a.m. Thursday on assault charges, allegedly for fighting with off-duty Pasadena police officer Darin McBride. Pringle and Fears were released on their own recognizance.

The Falcons knew about last week’s arrest, but that didn’t deter them from selecting Pringle, the Big West Conference offensive player of the year in 1989. However, the team didn’t know about Pringle’s three previous arrests.

Pringle was arrested April 11 on misdemeanor battery charges stemming from an incident at another Fullerton bar and had been on summary probation for a petty theft charge in Northridge last summer, according to court and police records. He also was arrested in Fullerton last November for possession of less than one ounce of marijuana.

“We’re looking into those matters,” said Jerry Glanville, the Falcons’ first-year coach. “We don’t want this kind of thing going on with our people. If they’re going to be part of our family, they’re going to play by our rules.”

Pringle pleaded no contest to the misdemeanor petty theft charge and was sentenced to one day in jail, one year of summary probation and five hours of community service. On the marijuana charge, Pringle agreed to pay a $100 fine and attend anti-drug classes.

He was cited for the misdemeanor battery charge and released on April 11, and Fullerton police are continuing their investigation. No court date has been set. Police are also investigating last Thursday’s incident.

Pringle, who is nine units short of a degree in criminal justice, is confident he will be cleared of any wrongdoing in his two recent arrests.

“I don’t want to comment on any of that stuff except to say I think the charges will be dropped,” Pringle said. “If the system works, there shouldn’t be any problem. As a criminal justice major, I believe I know what I’m talking about.”

Pringle, a 5-foot-8, 182-pounder who rushed for 1,727 yards last season, hopes a change in scenery will allow him to overcome his past.

“I’m just going to go to Atlanta and play football, regardless of what has happened here,” Pringle said. “It doesn’t make any difference what I did. I’m not running for office. No one should be interested in my private life.”

Part of Pringle’s athletic past will follow him to Atlanta. Titan teammate Reggie Redding, an offensive lineman, was selected by Atlanta in the fifth round. Steve Broussard, a running back from Washington State, where Pringle played for two seasons before transferring to Fullerton, was the Falcons’ first-round pick Sunday.

Pringle and Broussard will battle for the starting job in Glanville’s one-back, run-and-shoot offense.

“We’re real good friends, and we’ve always been competing against each other,” Pringle said. “I push him and he pushes me. We work out well together.”

A few familiar faces should also ease Pringle’s transition from college to professional football.

“I think it will work out a lot better knowing some people,” Pringle said. “I’ll be a little more comfortable, and that should take some of the pressure off me. We can all help each other and push each other.”