Arizona Wildcats safety Scottie Young Jr. will rejoin the team for Saturday’s practice, 10 months after he was arrested on a misdemeanor domestic violence charge.
The UA said in a Friday night statement that Young will be suspended for the team’s Sept. 1 season opener against BYU. He is otherwise allowed to participate in team activities.
Young was arrested last September on a misdemeanor domestic violence charge after an argument with his girlfriend in one of the UA’s residence halls. The woman told UA police that Young grabbed her wrists and spat on her during an argument.
Young admitted to grabbing the woman’s wrists, saying he believed she was going to hit him, campus police reports say.
Then-UA coach Rich Rodriguez, who had previously touted a zero-tolerance policy for domestic violence, allowed Young to remain with the team after the charges were filed.
Kevin Sumlin, Rodriguez’s replacement, suspended Young after taking over in January. The UA said Friday that Young’s suspension was a result of the domestic violence incident. Over the summer, he completed disciplinary sanctions imposed by the UA and separate penalties imposed by the athletic department, which included his removal from all team activities during the spring and summer, the statement said.
Young was also investigated by the dean of students “for student-code-of-conduct violations related to the incident,” the statement said. Young’s next court date, a diversion check, is scheduled for Nov. 2, court records show.
“Scott has certainly paid a steep price for a misdemeanor charge that will ultimately be dismissed through diversion,” his attorney, Ali Farhang, told the Arizona Daily Star late Friday. “This experience has taught him a valuable lesson about making certain that he surrounds himself with individuals of high character who have his best interests in mind at all times.”
Young is grateful for the privilege of being a student-athlete at the UA, Farhang said. The sophomore is “excited” to be back with the team, Farhang said.
Young “looks forward to continuing to excel both on the field and in the classroom,” Farhang said.
Young started nine games at free safety as a true freshman last year. He ranked sixth on the team with 53 tackles, including 3.5 for losses, and recorded his first interception in the season-ending Foster Farms Bowl.
Young will have to battle to regain his starting spot. Free safety is one of Arizona’s deepest positions, featuring redshirt sophomores Jarrius Wallace and Isaiah Hayes, plus freshman Christian Young (no relation).
