One Notre Dame player’s plate’s been very full off the field of late, and none of it’s been good. Well, it hasn’t been legal at least.
Kevin Stepherson was one of two Fighting Irish football players indefinitely suspended for the Citrus Bowl earlier this week; that suspension was subsequently confirmed to be related to a Dec. 15 shoplifting arrest.
But wait, there’s more.
According to ESPN.com, Stepherson was pulled over on a traffic stop Dec. 14 and, as a result, is facing misdemeanor charges of marijuana possession, driving without a valid license and speeding (he was clocked doing 80 in a 60 mph zone). To make matters worse, at the time of his twin arrests the wide receiver was already on probation for a marijuana-related arrest in August of 2016.
Adding to the off-field intrigue, Stepherson was suspended for the first four games this season for reasons unrelated to the arrest in August of last year.
At this time, Stepherson is still a part of the Irish football program as a university official stated the wide receiver’s status hasn’t changed as a result of the latest off-field faux pas. Whether that will or won’t change moving forward remains to be seen.
Stepherson currently leads the Fighting Irish in receiving touchdowns with five and yards per catch at 18.9 despite one-third of the regular season. His 19 receptions and 359 receiving yards are both good for third on the team.