Florida’s Deiondre Porter suspended indefinitely after arrest
Florida freshman defensive back Deiondre Porter was suspended indefinitely Wednesday following his arrest for allegedly firing a gun in the direction of his pregnant girlfriend.
One of Florida’s top special teams players, Porter was arrested Wednesday on four felony charges, including domestic violence enhancements. He is being held on a $160,000 bond in the Alachua County Jail.
The incident occurred at 2:15 a.m. on Sept. 29, three days after the eighth-ranked Gators beat rival Tennessee in Gainesville. Porter did not play the last two weeks.
The woman came forward Monday, nearly two weeks later, to report the incident.
“She said she was scared. She was dealing with a well-known UF football player and she was honestly terrified to come to the police and report it,” said Officer Ben Tobias, a police spokesman.
The Gators announced Porter’s suspension on Twitter, and coach Jim McElwain addressed it on the Southeastern Conference coaches call.
“He’s no longer with the football team,” McElwain said. “He’s suspended indefinitely for obviously a choice. It’s his choice not to be with us. I’m sure you’ll read about it soon enough. It’s one of those things that we don’t obviously condone. Like I said, it was his choice.”
The arrest happened two days after Florida quarterback Will Grier was suspended for one year for violating the NCAA’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs. So the Gators are getting ready to play No. 6 LSU with two major distractions.
Barnum gets five-year contract
Portland State’s Bruce Barnum, a first-time head coach whose Vikings opened the season with their first-ever victory over a Pac-12 team, has been given a five-year contract, the school announced Wednesday.
Barnum had been the Vikings’ offensive coordinator but he was elevated last year when the Portland State dismissed Nigel Burton after five seasons. Barnum was given a one-year contract, largely seen as a try-out for the top job.
Portland State opened the season with a 24-17 upset of Washington State on Sept. 5, a first for the Vikings.
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