APWith top-ranked USC’s season opener against Hawaii coming up fast, the Trojans have actually added a scholarship player to its roster.
Or, re-added in this case.
Three months after being sentenced to one year in prison for leaving the scene of an accident last year, linebacker Simione Vehikite has rejoined the team and made a quiet return to practice Wednesday.
“He has been released from jail,” said Vehikite’s attorney, per the Los Angeles Daily News. Vehikite was released earlier this week.
Vehikite pleaded no contest in May to two felony counts stemming from an accident involving him last July. The incident led to four felony counts this past February: leaving the scene of an accident; driving under the influence causing injury; driving with a .08% blood-alcohol level and causing injury; and identity theft.
He was dismissed from the team this spring by coach Lane Kiffin in the wake of his legal troubles.
Vehikite’s return meant walk-on Will Andrew did not have his scholarship renewed.
Why give a scholarship to a walk-on busting his hump when you can give it to a convicted felon
oh c’mon, you expect the scum of the earth Kiffen to do the right thing?
Kiffen, You are what is wrong with college football you have the morals of a jackass.I hope you never win another football game.Taking the sch from a hard working WO and giving it to a Convicted felon is WRONG!! You have no since of right and wrong.I take that back you have to since to do everything WRONG.
Must be a god player
As much as they suck right now I’m glad UT is rid of this jackass.
>As much as they suck right now I’m glad UT is rid of this jackass
So is Trojan Nation!
Fight On!
U$C is trash. Someone beat these losers
Assessing the positive/negative responses the anti-USC, anti-Kiffin crowd have weighed in with their feelings. However I’m also sure that the decision to allow Vehikite back on the team on scholarship wasn’t made without USC’s consideration of the ramifications. This includes far bigger issues than the scholarship for a walk-on.
You do not have to be anti USC or Kiffen to know this is just wrong.
We (Arkansas) had our troubles but our 3 players were kicked off team. Also, we did the right thing with Petrino even though it may have cost us a National Championship and huge donations from boosters. Some of these players across the Nation feel they are above the law and this is why!!!
I am a USC fan and this is the first bad move I have seen Kiffin make since coming to USC. Clearly we don’t have all the details but I am just hoping this was a result of the scholarship reductions and the need for players.
Just one more reason to cheer heartily for whoever upsets USC this year.
I’d have been with him if he made him redshift/sit out a season.
My bad. I thought this was about the other team that claims the title USC (the South Carolina Jailcocks) since it might apply to half their roster. No team has had more felony charges against their football team then the Shamecocks in the last five years.
Nothing like having the law in your back pockets.And the beat goes on,i see a bad moon araisin kiffin.
stay classy, Pac 12; stay classy Southern California.
I do not apologize for the way I feel but this kid should not be playing on any football team right now. He is a felon.
Must be the USC version of Donte Stallworth as long as he can play it’s all okay.
Allen Pinkett approves this move!
He was sentenced in May 2012 to a year and is out before the first game? did I miss something?
DId he have time served or is he that important to USC
For all you SC apologists, this is also the school being sued by a player who was force-fed painkillers that lead to his heart attack before the age of 23. Now add in the sleazy profiting off of the Sandusky situation, and it’s pretty fair to say…
After Penn State, USC is about the most disgraceful program in college football.
Every single day we see, NFL Players, College Players, NBA, etc. the list is long, these guys try and cover up what they have done, pay peopl off, etc.
Here now, we have a young kid, that had a few drinks and got into an accident. He owned up to it.
He served his sentence, and owned up to what he did wrong. THIS IS AMERICA PEOPLE.
You are all throwing around FELON, FELON, CONVICTED FELON.
He’s a young college kid that had some drinks one night……..only he happened to have a moment of poor judgement and he got into his car.
Last time I looked, we had a president of the United States for two full terms do the same thing. And the one before him purgered himself in front of the whole nation!
Give the kid a break, he made a mistake, he owned up to it, he’s young, let him get on with his life!!!
Sheesh people!
No chance in hell is this kid admitted back into the University if he is a regular student.
And we wonder why these guys walk around thinking their shite don’t stink and they can do whatever they want.
The real problem isn’t an institution giving someone a second chance, but the writer of this story creating a controversy that really should not exist. If the walk-on was meant to get a scholarship, he would have received one by now. He is happy to get the opportunity to play for the team. If he really wanted a scholarship, I’m sure there are many schools outside of USC that would have offered it to him. Fair enough to say that the writer is earning income off of this article? Because he is capable to produce this article, fair enough to say that he may be taking up a spot from someone else to earn this income? That unnamed person is deprived because of this writer. What if that unnamed person is of better character than this writer? I’m not trying to pick on this writer, but I’m trying to make a point. These misfortunes happen all the time in everyday life. These decisions are made independently of each other and sometimes the end results are not always the prettiest, but it’s the harsh reality. If you’re the AP #1 program in the country, every little thing will be scrutinized, especially by those that dislike the program.
I got a question for all you bloggers that hate on this youngster for getting a second chance….Do you believe that everyone is entitled to a second chance. He is a kid…they don’t think about anything when drinking is involved…you gals kill. Let it be a caucasian male and third would be a bounce back story…or let this young man attend the school of your choic, you’d have a field day. So the hating and give him a chance. He Ashley I’d pebbled a failure (felon) for the rest of his life. Have some forgiveness
Kid deserves another chance. Good on Kiffin.
I got a question for all you bloggers that hate on this youngster for getting a second chance….Do you believe that everyone is entitled to a second chance. He is a kid…they don’t think about anything when drinking is involved…you gals kill. Let it be a caucasian male and third would be a bounce back story…or let this young man attend the school of your choice, you’d have a field day. So the hating and give him a chance. He will always labled as a failure (felon) for the rest of his life. Have forgiveness
It should be a priveledge to play Division 1 football and an honor to play at USC, shouldnt be part of your probation or parole!!! WTF
I’m all for second chances.
Let him back in school, let him have a chance to earn a degree.
Being on a football team however is a privilege.
Taking a scholarship from a walk-on to let this guy back on, PROVES it is just about talent and football.
Why not let the kid back on as a walk-on?
There is your second chance. Nobody said it would be easy.
Shouldn’t he be playing with burt reynolds team with the other convicts?
Letting the kid back on as a walk-on is an interesting thought, but it’s the Coach’s choice to determine who he really wants on his team. Of course, we can continually put controls on everything due to every infraction someone makes…lo and behold, this free country we live in is no longer ‘free’. Being on a football team may be a privilege, but let’s not forget the whole reason of an institution of higher learning. The real privilege is being back in an university. Most of these kids aren’t going to have a NFL career. It’s the education that they take with them that will make the biggest difference in their lives…their subsequent career would be every football player’s real second chance in life.
Are all of you insane? This guy went to jail, paid his debt to society as law enforcement saw fit. So because he has a felony that should preclude him from playing football? Give me a break. It’s a sport, he’s not being a policeman, fireman or some other profession where character is paramount. And do you honestly think that the university was not giving a hard look at this decision? As to the scholarship, they go to the best players not the best people. And any fan of any other school should understand theirs would do the same minus the service academies. I always find it funny that there is so much focus on a team that most fans say “Sucks” “In a weak conference” If USC is as bad as SEC, ACC, Big 12 fans say, what do you care?
” leaving the scene of an accident; driving under the influence causing injury; driving with a .08% blood-alcohol level and causing injury; and identity theft.”
@raaaaidersrback
Leaving the scene of an accident and identity theft means he didn’t own up to it. He ran and when they caught him he lied about who he was. That is about as far from owning up to it as you can get.
I have never known criminals to own up to something. I never said he did. But he was let out of jail by law enforcement. He paid what the law said was his debt. If USC was not a powerhouse this would not even be discussed.