Former Gophers quarterback Demry Croft was arrested and charged with multiple felony counts of rape and sexual battery, the Nashville Tennessean reported.
Former Gophers quarterback Demry Croft charged with rape, sexual battery
August 21, 2019 at 1:21AM
The newspaper reported that the Tennessee State quarterback was arrested Monday on charges including six felony counts of rape and two counts of sexual battery stemming from a Dec. 1 incident.
The 22-year-old Illinois native started four games for Tennessee State last season, missing the rest because of injury, but was in camp practicing with the Tigers this month.
He played 12 games for the Gophers from 2015-17 before transferring. After being recruited by former Gophers coach Jerry Kill, Croft emerged as a backup quarterback behind Mitch Leidner in 2015. Croft played in three games that season before redshirting in 2016.
Heading into the 2017 season, new Gophers coach P.J. Fleck named Croft one of his co-starters along with Conor Rhoda. He started the first two games with Croft also seeing some action, but Fleck then suspended Croft indefinitely. Croft returned after three games and ended up starting the final six games. For the season he completed 41.5 percent of his passes, with four touchdowns and seven interceptions.
Croft tweeted his intent to transfer shortly after that season ended, citing a "very uncomfortable environment" after his suspension for what he wrote was a false accusation of damaging a door.
Tennessee State plays a step down from the Gophers, in the FCS. Croft completed 61 of 101 passes for the Tigers last year for 888 yards with eight touchdowns and two interceptions. According to court records and the Davidson County Sheriff's Office the Tennessean obtained, Croft was booked into jail Monday afternoon but released that evening on $50,000 bail.
Penn State, a winner by 56 against the U last season, is next up in the now-brawnier conference.
