SAN ANTONIO — TCU quarterback Trevone Boykin was arrested early Thursday and charged with felony assault of a police officer after fans at a bar were allegedly heckling the one-time Heisman Trophy contender. He was swiftly suspended for the Alamo Bowl in an abrupt and inglorious end to a brilliant college career.
The game Saturday against No. 15 Oregon would have been the last for Boykin, a senior who shattered school passing records once held by Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton and was hoping to give NFL scouts one final look as the 11th-ranked Horned Frogs wrapped up their season.
Boykin was arrested shortly before 2 a.m. outside a bar near San Antonio’s famous downtown River Walk. Police say an altercation inside spilled into the street and ended when Boykin took a swing and made contact with a police officer on bike patrol. Police Chief William McManus said it was not clear whether Boykin was swinging at the officer or someone else.
The skirmish was set off by Boykin, 22, being heckled in the bar about the upcoming game, McManus said.
“His teammates had tried to take him back to the hotel, and he broke away from them and came back and he got into it with officer,” McManus said. “Mr. Boykin was finally subdued after being threatened with a Taser.”
Boykin was released on $5,000 bond. He left a Bexar County jail with a coat over his head and did not answer questions from reporters. TCU wide receiver Preston Miller was also suspended for bowl game for what coach Gary Patterson said was an unspecified violation of team rules.
“We are disappointed in their actions and apologize to the TCU Horned Frogs Nation, Valero Alamo Bowl and city of San Antonio,” Patterson said.
According to a police report, Boykin had been fighting with employees at the bar, but people with the star quarterback told officers they would take him back to his hotel. Boykin then charged at responding officers and swung at one before he was taken to the ground, authorities said.
McManus said the officer allegedly struck by Boykin was treated for a swollen face and bruised but was otherwise OK.
Boykin finished fourth in the Heisman Trophy voting as a junior in 2014 and went into this season considered one of the front-runners for the award. The dual-threat quarterback is second nationally with 381 total yards per game, but missed a game in November after awkwardly twisting his right ankle in a win over Kansas.
He sat out against Oklahoma game but returned for the TCU’s regular-season finale, an overtime victory over Baylor that was played in heavy rain. He was expected to be fully healthy for the Alamo Bowl.
Boykin threw for 3,575 yards with 31 touchdowns and ran for 612 yards and 10 more scores this season. He has accounted for 56 percent of TCU’s offense since 2012, and leaves with career school records for total yards (12,777), passing yards (10,728), passing touchdowns (86) and touchdowns responsible for (114).
Senior Bram Kohlhausen or redshirt freshman Foster Sawyer will start in Boykin’s place.
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Associated Press Writers Paul J. Weber in Austin, Texas, and Stephen Hawkins in Fort Worth, Texas, contributed to this report.
