SALT LAKE CITY — A week after the guy who named his record company “Bad Boy” relapsed in Los Angeles, trouble arrived in Utah, too.
It’s true that recording star Diddy has his problems after allegedly attacking a UCLA conditioning coach with a kettlebell. But the bad behavior apparently isn’t limited to California. Seven hundred miles northeast, it’s going strong.
This week, Utah State dismissed receiver/return star JoJo Natson for “violation of team rules,” while Utah starting cornerback Dominique Hatfield was arrested on suspicion of aggravated robbery.
Though the rules Natson violated weren’t specified, the dismissal must have involved more than a food fight. He pleaded guilty last year in Cache County to a charge of misdemeanor theft, for which he was ordered to spend two nights in jail, pay a fine and serve a probation, according to KSL.com. He also was suspended a game last year for violating team rules.
While the three Natson incidents may not be related, they likely combined to trigger the action by coach Matt Wells. Meanwhile, Hatfield, who has talked about escaping street life in the Crenshaw area of Los Angeles, may have had a relapse of his own.
Score it Trouble 2, Peace and Quiet 0.
Hatfield is a multi-level threat, playing receiver, defensive back and returning kicks. He detailed in an Aug. 20, 2014 Deseret News article how happy he was to escape the turmoil of L.A.
“You know, you can get sucked into a lot of things. You have to keep your mind focused,” Hatfield told beat writer Dirk Facer. “Getting to Utah was a very tough route. I’m not going to lie about it. I’m not the smartest kid in the world but I’m a hard worker.”
Before this week, it probably seemed to Hatfield’s friends and family that the battle had been won. He was entering his junior year, a starter on a team coming off a 9-4 season, including a dominating bowl win. Equally important, he was in a less dangerous environment.
The story said Hatfield shared a close relationship with his mother as they overcame the odds.
In that case, she’s probably bending his ear right now.
“He’s a tough kid and I know exactly what he went through,” cornerback coach Sharrieff Shaw — also from Crenshaw — told Facer. “If a kid can make it out of there, he’s an absolute fighter.”
Natson, an All-MWC first team returner, from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, was entering his senior season.
At press time, Hatfield's version of events hadn't been released, but if the accusations against him are true you have to wonder what both players were thinking.
Athlete troubles aren’t new. Still, that’s why it’s amazing players keep sabotaging their careers. While they might think it’s worth the risk, the fallout affects far more than just the player. It’s hard imagining teammates not feeling betrayed by this week’s events, though Utah’s Kenneth Scott did tweet on Wednesday: “We all had mistakes in our past time & did things we weren't posed to be doing in someone else's eyes. Live & learn, Never judge.”
But when a player gets suspended or dismissed, there are 100-plus teammates who pay for it, too. Meanwhile, parents who can rightfully feel proud of seeing their children into college must deal with the disappointment. The letdown spreads to others, including neighborhood kids who look up to the players.
Coaches of both Utah and Utah State will talk about moving forward with the next player. But neither school is Ohio State, where there is an endless supply of depth. Almost everywhere else, there are good reasons why starters start.
If Hatfield also misses games, an effective replacement might be found. It’s just as likely the teams would lose games because of these incidents.
Hopefully the next time a player makes negative news, he’ll remember it’s not just his life he's living. Other people's dreams are at stake, too.
Email: rock@desnews.com; Twitter: @therockmonster; Blog: Rockmonster Unplugged