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New Mexico State U. safety suspended after indictment
By Geoff Grammer
Las Cruces, New Mexico (U-WIRE) -- New Mexico State University defensive back Tyrone "Ty" Gifford was suspended indefinitely Friday from the Aggie football team for not notifying coaches or Athletics Department personnel of his April 19 grand jury indictment. Gifford, a 5-foot-9, 190-pound junior from Lincoln, Neb., was reportedly indicted on one count of burglary of a vehicle (a fourth-degree felony) and one count of larceny over $100 (a misdemeanor). The indictment states Gifford entered a pickup truck on March 22 with the intent to commit theft and took a VCR. "There's two issues," NMSU Athletics Director Brian Faison explained of Gifford's suspension. "One is the fact that he didn't come forward as all of our student-athletes are required to do. Number two, with the severity of the situation at hand, he needs to focus on all the legal issues. This isn't casting any aspersions one way or the other about whether he's guilty or innocent, it's just that he needs to take care of business." Page 42 of the 2000-2001 New Mexico State University Student-Athlete Handbook states: "If your misconduct is severe enough to warrant misdemeanor or felony charges being brought against you or if the alleged crime involves violence or drugs, you must immediately notify your head coach or assistant coach." It also states that that notification must come within 48 hours of when charges have been filed or a criminal complaint has been made. NMSU head coach Tony Samuel refused to comment to reporters on the matter. "This is not an on-campus situation," Faison said. "Off-campus legal authorities take precedence. They've got to deal with the situation and we're going to do everything we can not to get in the way of that process." Earlier this month, two other NMSU football players -- P.J. Winston and Julmar Howard -- were arrested and issued misdemeanor citations for reportedly obstructing and interfering with officers stemming from a shooting at Dickerson's Barn in Fairacres, but both players apparently made their coaches aware of the situation within 48 hours and have not been suspended from the team. Neither player was arrested for direct involvement in the shooting. Gifford has played defensive back and special teams for the Aggies for the past two seasons. He is listed atop the spring depth chart at free safety for the Aggies. In the spring football media guide, Samuel praised Gifford's potential next season saying, "...if he ever decides to take his game to another level he will be as good as any player in the country."
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