New details came to light this week about an altercation between two college football teammates that led to one being arrested and the other landing in the hospital with serious injuries.
Now ex-TCU safety Jacob Fields, 21, turned himself in to the Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office in Texas on Sunday after he was accused of attacking TCU wide receiver Dozie Ezukanma.
Fields is charged with aggravated assault causing serious bodily injury after police say his attack caused Ezukanma, 20, to spend three days in hospital due to a brain bleed, concussion and other injuries.
A TCU physical trainer said the brain bleed Ezukanma suffered could have been life threatening if it went untreated, but the wide receiver was not sent to the emergency room until nearly two hours after Fields attacked him, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported.
Ezukanma complained of a severe headache and ringing ears after he said Fields hit him from behind with a “sucker punch” while he was distracted and looking at his phone.
The wide receiver reportedly hit his head and lost consciousness after the violent contact from Fields, and the safety is also accused of kicking Ezukanma, who said he could not remember the attack after waking up in the TCU training facility, in the head.
Fields is said to have been upset that Ezukanma was outplaying him during practice prior to the Aug. 13 altercation. The Louisiana Tech transfer apologized to Ezukanma in text messages following the incident, per Yahoo Sports.
“I apologize for how I went about this situation,” Fields said in a text message. “I made an emotional decision cause of how I felt I played the last few practices.”
The message continued: “I know I fuc—d up, and I want you to know I never meant for this to turn out the way it did.” Fields also offered to pay Ezukanma for medical bills and more to “make this right,” according to ESPN.
Philip “Red” Miller, who represents Fields as an agent, released a statement after his client was released from jail upon posting a $50,000 bond.
“I understand the media and public may be looking for an explosive statement from Jacob or me,” Miller said. “Now is not the time or the place. We will not try this case through social media or the court of public opinion.
“There is a proper place for the facts to be heard, and we will respect that process. My athletes and I understand the difference between right and wrong. We believe in drawing a hard line, standing up for yourself, and standing for something—because if you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything.
“I stand with Jacob, and I will not waver. Jacob has legal counsel, and we will allow the legal process to run its course. There will be a time to speak. There will be a time for the facts. And there will be a time for the truth. Today, we let the process work.”
Fields was officially dismissed by TCU and head coach Sonny Dykes on Aug. 18, five days after the altercation in the Horned Frogs locker room.
Dykes made his first statement on the incident following a season-opening loss to North Carolina and head coach Bill Belichick on Aug. 29; the 15-10 defeat came in a game that was played overseas in Ireland, while Ezukanma was unable to travel with the team.
“It was something that was certainly out of character for the team and the young man that was involved,” Dykes said. “Look, you got 110 football players. I mean, things happen sometimes.”
