EKU suspends athletes involved in fights with UK football players

Unnamed Eastern Kentucky University football players have been suspended for an unspecified time for their part in incidents Jan. 25 involving University of Kentucky football players.

In an emailed statement, Colonels Athletics Director Steve Lochmueller said the school was following its procedure in dealing with the events involving the players.

"Given the actions of these student-athletes, these players have been suspended from the EKU football roster," Lochmueller said without naming specific players.

"Their future at the university will be determined pending the decision by personnel within our Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities. This type of behavior will not be tolerated."

At least two EKU football players were named in the police reports involving two separate incidents in Richmond on Jan. 25. The first was a fight at a bar involving Colonels offensive lineman Colton Scurry and UK quarterback Drew Barker, wide receiver Dorian Baker and defensive lineman Tymere Dubose.

"Suddenly, without physical provocation, Mr. Scurry charges into a crowd of people and throws a punch at an unidentified person," the recently released report says.

Later, at a campus dorm, Telford Hall security video shows Eastern defensive tackle and former UK signee Patrick Graffree punching Barker in the side of the head.

The video "shows Graffree taking off his sweatshirt as he enters the building and approaches Baker, Barker and Dubose. Graffree then strikes Barker, knocking him to the ground," the report says.

Graffree is no longer listed on the Eastern Kentucky football roster online. Scurry, a 6-foot-2, redshirt sophomore was on the roster as of 2 p.m. Thursday but was removed by 3 p.m.

Graffree played in 12 games last season and had 26 tackles, two interceptions and six quarterback hurries.

The Eastern Kentucky statement said the school had taken action now that the "legal process has run its course." Last week a Madison County grand jury declined to indict any of the players involved in the bar fight at Jerzee's Cocktail Lounge & Dance Club.

Kentucky Coach Mark Stoops, when asked about the videos of the incidents released Tuesday, said he had seen them and "addressed that."

When asked if he'd seen the videos before they were made public via an open-records request, he didn't elaborate.

"Not going to comment on that," Stoops said. "There was no surprises to me yesterday. I've addressed it with the players and with the team, and we've moved on."

In the EKU statement, Lochmueller added that it would be an internal student judicial review and that the university would have no further comment.

UK and Eastern Kentucky meet on the football field Oct. 3 at Commonwealth Stadium.

This story was originally published April 16, 2015 at 3:10 PM with the headline "EKU suspends athletes involved in fights with UK football players."