Pistol-Whipping An Assistant Coach Does Not Help Citadel QB's Playing Time

Quarterback Miguel Starks shared time in The Citadel's backfield in 2009, but those struggles are in the past ever since he was arrested for robbing and kidnapping one of the team's assistant coaches. No one is questioning his leadership now!

Starks, a redshirt freshman in 2009, and two other men were arrested two weekends ago and accused of a strong-armed home invasion of Joshua Harpe, a former Citadel player who became an assistant coach after his career ended. They enlisted, Shelia Gaskins, a woman who knows Harpe to call him and say she was having car trouble. (But not in a suspicious way at all!) When he opened his garage door to go provide help, the men were waiting outside. They struck Harpe with a handgun, forced him back into the house, tied him up, and then took his wallet, electronics and some jewelry. After Harpe freed himself, he called the cops, gave a description of the perps and they were almost immediately picked up by police. Admittedly, the plan had some flaws.

Even more disturbing than the fact that these guys were stupid enough to rob someone who knew them, is that police were already investigating an almost identical robbery involving another former Citadel student, during which a woman was sexually assaulted. If Starks and his cronies end up convicted of both robberies, they're going to be "occupied" for quite some time.

Starks had hoped to become the full-time starter in 2010, but Citadel football coach Kevin Higgins told reporters on Saturday that he had earlier informed Starks that he would be held out of spring practice to focus on his academics. I guess Starks decided crime was his new best option and now he's been kicked out of school. Those military academies are so strict! Even the victim in the first robbery was thrown in jail last week, after pleading guilty to selling pot to an undercover cop. I guess some of these cadets aren't real big on discipline.

Citadel QB being held in jail [The Post and Courier] UPDATE: New charges in Citadel robberies, connected to second robbery [WCBD]