Arkansas tight end Jeremy Sprinkle’s collegiate career has ended in unceremonious fashion as he’s been suspended from today’s Belk Bowl after allegedly shoplifting at… Belk department store. You read that right — a player invited to the Belk Bowl got popped while shopping at Belk. Storybook stuff.
According to SECCountry.com, Sprinkle (and his teammates) had a $450 gift card to spend at the store, but he allegedly tried to take more expensive items:
Each player on both teams had 90 minutes to spend a $450 gift card at Belk on anything in the store. The players also each received a Fossil watch. Sources said Sprinkle attempted to take items worth more than the allotted cost available.
Head coach Bret Bielema on the suspension (via 4029TV.com):
“Jeremy’s suspension has been known by our staff and players for several days so we’ve had a chance to prepare our game plan accordingly. Throughout his career and this season as a graduate student-athlete, Jeremy has displayed numerous times the qualities we want to represent our program. We have standards within our family that must be upheld on a daily basis and unfortunately he failed to do that in the last week. Jeremy’s suspension isn’t drug, alcohol or violence related but one that will cause him to miss his final game as a Razorback.”
WalterDraft.com had Sprinkle as a 3rd to 5th round selection in the 2017 Draft in its latest update from mid-December. Oops.
