Sione Takitaki began the 2015 season in Bronco Mendenhall‘s doghouse. As it turns out, he’ll end it there as well.
BYU announced Thursday afternoon that Takitaki (pictured, left, No. 16) has been suspended from the football program for the remainder of the 2015 season. The only reason given was a violation of unspecified team rules.
The suspension comes a week or so after Takitaki pleaded guilty to misdemeanor theft. It had been alleged that Takitaki swiped apparel from the Cougar soccer and track teams as he performed his duties as part of the custodial staff at Smith Fieldhouse. He was initially charged with two counts of misdemeanor theft, and was suspended for the opener because of the incident.
That was the second off-field incident involving Takitaki during his year-plus with the program.
He was dismissed from the football program last July, with the incident that triggering the dismissal described as the linebacker being “involved in a fight in the campus dorms last summer just days after moving to Provo.” He was allowed back on the team after a vote by his teammates and ended up playing in 11 games as a true freshman, finishing tied for third with three sacks.
When on the field this season, Takitaki was a disruptive force once again for the Cougars’ defense. In six games, Takitaki totaled seven tackles for loss (second on the team) and 3.5 sacks (third).