The University of North Alabama threw a walk-on player off the team after a racist tweet about President Barack Obama was sent from his Twitter account.
The university said coaches made the move after the tweet attributed to Patterson described Obama with a racial slur while complaining that the president’s speech about the Connecticut school massacre pre-empted an NFL game Sunday night.
Sports publicist Jeff Hodges said the school found that there was no question the tweet was issued by Patterson.
Attempts by The Associated Press to reach Patterson for comment Monday failed.
Hodges said Patterson joined the Lions, an NCAA Division II power, as a walk-on after the fourth game of this season.
FCS’ BEST DEFENDER
Montana State defensive end Caleb Schreibeis, who forced eight fumbles and had a Big Sky Conference-leading 12.5 sacks among his 59 tackles, won the Buck Buchanan Award.
The senior from Billings, Mont., is the first Montana State player to win the award, signifying the top defensive player in the Football Championship Subdivision. He is the fifth winner from the Big Sky, which has won four of the past six Buchanan awards.
PURDUE BOOSTS BUDGET
New Purdue coach Darrell Hazell will start his six-year contract earning more than twice as much as predecessor Danny Hope.
The school announced Hazell will have a base salary of $2 million a year and the chance for $1 million in bonuses. Hope was paid a Big Ten-low $950,000.
Hazell, who was hired from Kent State, will have $2.1 million to pay his assistants.
TEMPLE HIRES PRO
Temple’s new coach is Matt Rhule, 37, who left his post as assistant offensive line coach with the New York Giants.
He follows Steve Addazio, who was hired by Boston College after his two-year run with the Owls included a victory in the New Mexico Bowl.
EX-COUG HONORED
Ex-Washington State player Bob Gregory was named linebackers coach of the year by FootballScoop.com. Gregory, who starred at Gonzaga Prep in Spokane, is assistant head coach and linebackers coach at Boise State.
CYCLONES LIKE THEIR QB
Iowa State’s decision to play freshman quarterback Sam Richardson in the final two games of the regular season resulted in a win, a loss and a lot of hope.
Now Richardson has the chance to grow some more.
Iowa State (6-6) earned a berth in the Liberty Bowl on New Year’s Eve against Tulsa (10-3), giving Richardson more time to increase his familiarity with the offense.
The Cyclones say the experience is paying off.
“The biggest thing, to be honest with you, is pocket presence,” offensive coordinator Courtney Messingham said. “
EXTRA POINTS
Ron Gould, whose stars in 11 seasons coaching Cal running backs included Marshawn Lynch, will take over as coach at Big Sky Conference member UC Davis. … West Virginia junior Steadman Bailey, who had 106 catches for 1,501 yards and 23 TDs this season, will skip his senior year to turn pro. … Western Michigan hired Tampa Bay Bucs assistant P.J. Fleck, 32, making him the youngest head coach in the bowl subdivision. … A pair of Notre Dame linemen will stay in school next season, coach Brian Kelly said. Nose guard Louis Nix III and offensive tackle Zack Martin will skip the NFL draft. … San Jose State introduced Bay Area native Ron Caragher as its new coach after he spent six seasons at the University of San Diego.
JOIN THE DISCUSSION | Register here
We welcome comments. Please keep them civil, short and to the point. ALL CAPS, spam, obscene, profane, abusive and off topic comments will be deleted. Repeat offenders will be blocked. Thanks for taking part — and abiding by these simple rules. A thorough explanation of rules of conduct can be found in our Terms of Service. If you have any questions, including why your comment may not be showing immediately after you submit it, be sure to visit the commenting FAQ.