PROVO — Sophomore linebacker Sione Takitaki will be suspended for BYU’s opening game at Nebraska after being charged with two counts of Class B misdemeanor theft.
Takitaki was issued a citation but not booked into jail. In an unusual move, the citation was made private. Police allege Takitaki stole property from the soccer and track teams in July while working a night shift at his job as a campus custodian.
According to court documents, Takitaki’s arraignment is scheduled for Aug. 27.
BYU football spokesman Brett Pyne said coach Bronco Mendenhall reviewed the situation and Takitaki will not play in the season opener against the Cornhuskers on Sept. 5.
BYU opened fall camp last Saturday, and Takitaki has been practicing with the team. Mendenhall said Wednesday afternoon that Takitaki is one of the team’s best pass rushers.
While the Cougars are deep at the outside linebacker position, Takitaki is one of only three with playing experience, along with Fred Warner and Sae Tautu. Another outside linebacker, Colby Jorgensen, suffered a neck fracture during Tuesday’s practice and is out for the season.
Last year, Takitaki played in 11 games and recorded 19 tackles, four tackles for losses and three sacks.
Outside linebackers coach Kelly Poppinga said Monday that Takitaki has stood out at practices while adding, “He’s going to be special as long as we can reel him in with some other stuff.”
This is the latest in a series of missteps for the 6-foot-2, 240-pounder from Fontana, California. Last summer, not long after arriving on campus, Takitaki was dismissed from the team for fighting in the campus dorms. A short time later, he was reinstated by Mendenhall. Last fall, after turning in a strong performance against Central Florida, Takitaki didn’t show up at a subsequent practice and Mendenhall suspended him for the next game against Nevada.
Then, in July, Takitaki found trouble again.
“We got two independent reports of property that was missing,” BYU Police Lt. Arnold Lemmon told KSL Radio. “Some property out of the soccer team office area and the track team office area. We checked some of our (surveillance) cameras. We identified Mr. Takitaki. Detectives interviewed him. He was very cooperative. He returned all the property. At the conclusion of the interview, he was issued two citations. He was charged with Class B theft for the soccer gear and a Class B theft for the track jacket.”
Lemmon said the track jacket Takitaki allegedly stole “was a very expensive one. It was one of a kind.”
Lemmon added that Takitaki was “very remorseful.”
Amy Donaldson contributed to this story.