Anderson’s Season Ends Before It Starts

Cornerback Marques Anderson will sit out the season after being suspended for the fall quarter by the dean of students because of previous undisclosed campus incidents in addition to his involvement in the handicapped-parking scam.

Anderson will redshirt in hopes of returning for his junior season, and he plans to return to school in the winter, but his loss for 1999 is a blow to the secondary. Anderson started six of the 12 games last year and was expected to have a key role again.

“The Anderson family is devastated and saddened by the behavior leading to this suspension,” the Anderson family said in a statement released through UCLA. “We regret what has happened but must accept it as one of life’s harsh lessons. Our concern now is in helping Marques regroup and get his life and college career moving again in the proper direction.”

The announcement came Saturday, on the first day of practice and two days after a team meeting that included what players called a “firm” warning from Coach Bob Toledo about staying out of trouble. Additionally, the 11 players suspended for the first two games individually addressed the team and apologized.

“They were heartfelt,” one of the 11, linebacker Ali Abdul Azziz, said of the apologies. “There were some hurt feelings [among the teammates]. There were some guys who felt this a lot.

“I think we did a lot of coming together. There were some apologies and things of that nature. That helped. I wouldn’t say it has taken care of everything, but it helped.”

As part of the meeting, and aware that the investigation could continue to reveal names of players who will be disciplined by the school or courts, Toledo, hoping to avoid dragging the process out even more, simply asked anyone who illegally had a handicap placard to come forward.

No one did.