Football player arrested last week, suspended from team
Tim Bella
Issue date: 10/17/07 Section: News
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A football player who was arrested last week after police say he assaulted his wife was suspended indefinitely from the team Tuesday night, the athletics media relations director said.
Junior wide receiver Walter Bryant,21, of San Angelo, has been suspended indefinitely by head football coach Gary Patterson until he can gather more information about Bryant's Oct. 10 arrest, said Mark Cohen, athletics media relations director.
Bryant, who has been charged with assault with bodily injury to a family member, was arrested last Wednesday after he and his wife, Danielle Land, agreed he had assaulted her, according to a Fort Worth police report.
Athletics director Danny Morrison said the situation was being dealt with internally through the football program and the Campus Life department. He said the athletics department will continue to gather information about the incident.
Patterson had said earlier Tuesday during his weekly press conference that Bryant's status on the team was unchanged and that he was eligible to play during Thursday's game.
Morrison said Patterson learned about the incident the night Bryant was arrested and told Morrison shortly after. He said Patterson talked with Bryant on Thursday morning about the incident.
Morrison said the student-athlete handbook calls for punishment for a misdemeanor - such as Bryant's charge - to be handled by the coaching staff of the respective athletic program.
According to a Fort Worth police report, Land said Bryant slapped her in the face during an argument the two had outside of his residence at the Chesapeake Apartments located at 6047 S. Hulen St.
Bryant then slapped her arm, and as she was attempting to get up, he slapped her in the leg, police reported. Land had visible physical injuries, according to the police report.
Land said a one-year, renewable protective order had been implemented against Bryant for her and her son by the Fort Worth police.
Bryant was released on $2,500 bail Thursday before traveling to Palo Alto, Calif., to play in last Saturday's game against Stanford University.
Staff reporter Joe Zigtema contributed to this report.
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