FORT WORTH — TCU coach Gary Patterson used the second day of the Horned Frogs’ spring practice to break the news that troubled former star KaVontae Turpin could take part in the school’s Pro Day if, and only if, he can take care of a list of ifs.
The biggest item on the list is clearing up legal matters stemming from assault cases in New Mexico and Fort Worth.
The coach demonstrating such benevolence isn’t so much compassion as it might be motivation for his former pupil to get his life in order before waking up in mid-life with a bad case of the what-ifs.
“He’s one of ours,” Patterson said on Sunday. “He’s supposed to be going to counseling, and if he gets everything cleared up, it’s not going to be one of those things where TCU’s going to say, ‘No.’ If he clears up and he does what he’s supposed to, he’ll have an opportunity to run on Pro Day because he was a TCU Horned Frog.”
He was a Horned Frog, one of the program’s best players, before leaving the team prematurely because of an arrest on a domestic assault charge in October involving his girlfriend and the revelation days later that he had another charge arising from an alleged incident in New Mexico involving the same woman.
Whether he can get all the legal issues cleared up by TCU’s Pro Day on March 29 is unclear.
The case in Fort Worth hasn’t been assigned a court date. A pre-trial hearing for the case in New Mexico is reportedly scheduled for March 25.
“If he can get everything cleared up, and everybody thinks that he’s done a good job of trying to better himself, then he’ll have an opportunity to run for us and help himself in his NFL career,” Patterson said.
“If he doesn’t do that, then I have people that I have to answer to, and you have to do the right thing. He knows that.”
Each university sponsors a Pro Day, a day in which the NCAA allows NFL scouts to visit the school and observe players participate in NFL Combine events.
Questions about Turpin’s NFL viability were aplenty long before his time of trouble. It was not a foregone conclusion that he would be among the 224 players selected in April’s NFL Draft. He’s undersized, and scouts have questions about the dependability of his hands and his route running.
But he can run like the wind. Any immediate impact would likely be as punt and kick returner, where he flourished at TCU.
However, even if Turpin is allowed to return to the university for Pro Day, the NFL will ultimately want to know more about him than his time in the 40, which would likely be NFL worthy.
First and foremost, who exactly is KaVontae Turpin? One domestic assault charge in one thing, two domestic assault charges is very much a red flag.
If you haven’t heard, the NFL has become very sensitive about players and domestic abuse allegations, namely because of how they’ve been mismanaged by team executives, who have done themselves no favors.
The list of players accused of violence against women is as long as the Dead Sea Scrolls, or at least it seems that way because of the public relations heartburn they cause. Whatever, there have been too many.
Teams understandably are more likely to judge and ask questions later, particularly with guys already with a wardrobe of scarlet letters.
The Chiefs didn’t waste much time cutting loose their top running back, Kareem Hunt, when abuse allegations surfaced.
What was seemingly lost in that controversy is that the Chiefs still employ a one-time abuser, albeit one with a – so far – happy ending.
If Turpin’s case – and career … a big if — can turn out anything close to Tyreek Hill’s he’ll have hit the lottery.
Hill, an All-Big 12 player, was dismissed from Oklahoma State’s team in 2015 after police charged him with strangling and punching his then-pregnant girlfriend.
After pleading guilty to the resultant charges, Hill was given three years’ probation with other demands that included completion of an anger management course and a Batterer’s Intervention Program.
One difference is he had another college season to play, which he did at Division II West Alabama.
Hill was also publicly contrite, expressing regret and accepting responsibility.
Turpin has as well, telling his Twitter audience weeks after the alleged incident that, “I disappointed a lot of people, all I’m asking is forgiveness and a second chance.”
He should probably make that sentiment a little stronger and put it on a brochure or his résumé to hand out to scouts.
The Chiefs caught all sorts of you-know-what when they took Hill, projected as a dynamic kick returner, in the sixth round in 2016. The optics only worsened when considering four years earlier Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher murdered his girlfriend and then killed himself.
At the time — while doing damage control — Chiefs coach Andy Reid cited Hill’s completion of and reception to counseling as key to the team’s review of Hill prior to the draft.
Hill, though, has been a model NFL player and emerged as a star, an All-Pro and one of the most exciting players in the league. His only transgressions have been celebration penalties after touchdowns.
He is also married, to the victim of 2015 incident.
So, this can happen.
Something similar can happen with Turpin, too, if he shows that he can grow from his time of trouble.