A relatively quiet offseason for the defending national champions has suddenly gotten a little louder.
According to the Tuscaloosa News, Alabama defensive back Tony Brown has been indefinitely suspended by the NCAA. “The university has appealed and is awaiting a decision,” the News writes.
There is no official word on the reason or reasons behind the suspension, although the speculation is that it pertains to some sort of impermissible benefits/contacts.
In December of last year, Brown was sent home from the Cotton Bowl for a violation of team rules. It was subsequently reported that Brown had started a fight with a teammate during the College Football Playoff semifinal and the Tide’s leadership council decided to send him home. That incident also led Brown to miss the win over Clemson in the national championship game.
Brown, a five-star 2014 signee, was arrested in mid-January of last year on charges of failure to obey and resisting arrest, although he managed to escape Nick Saban’s doghouse that time and tie for the lead in special teams tackles in the regular season. Provided he can get past this latest hurdle, Brown’s expected to compete for a starting job.
For what it’s worth, Brown has participated throughout the first half of the Tide’s spring practice sessions.