FWST: Ex-TCU star KaVontae Turpin opens up about being kicked off team, pro dreams

[Billy Clyde]

There is always a TON of room for nuanced argument in a case like this (which seldom happens on a message board). For instance, as HFrog correctly noted above, "not guilty" at trial isn't the same as "innocent of wrongdoing."

Simply put then, for me it's pretty simple: If it was bad enough for Gary to boot him from the team, it's bad enough not to bring him back for pro day, at the very least while his cases are pending.

What would change that, IMO, would be something along the lines of, "I've made amends and been going to counseling, admitted what I did to the DA's office, and prepared to pay the consequences." Some defense lawyers do that and get good results.

NOT simply, "I'm a hard-working football dude and I'm going to be a baller at the next level." That doesn't help your legal case(I'd argue that it harms it), nor does it help your reputation, and I can't imagine it helps make him more attractive to professional teams who now know they have to be careful with this kind of stuff.

 

[froginmn]

I'm not exactly sure what to think of this situation. I feel like he probably did commit an act of violence against her, and should be punished for that.

At the same time, I think he was punished by the team already, and will likely see a more costly punishment if found guilty in a court. Allowing him to come to pro day while the legal system sorts this out doesn't seem to be a horribly risky thing and doesn't damage the reputation of TCU IMO. In fact, it might be seen as a nice act to allow the guy to move past this - again, knowing that a conviction would blow his chances out of the water.

 

[Eight]

what does allowing him to attend the tcu pro-day allow him that he wouldn't have access by other means?

i would guess access to work out before more team reps, but are there open events in which he could work out before team reps without being part of the tcu event?

the analogy to me would be if i was thrown out of tcu and wasn't able to come back on campus and interview with a company that was on campus interviewing students that doesn't mean i couldn't interview with that same company via other means.

 

[Wexahu]

I think the staff did all they could to try and help keep him eligible for his four years here (GP has even eluded to that) and in the end KT didn't hold up his end of the bargain. I don't really have a whole lot of sympathy for his situation, if he can prove to the scouts he's worth the risk he'll get a chance but it makes little sense to me for TCU (especially in this day and age) to try to include him in Senior Day.

 

[Atomic Frawg]

Is there one ounce of information out there that leads you to believe he could be? Serious question.

The day after the Fort Worth charge, GP *suspended* him from playing vs. Kansas, "while we look into it." Pretty sure that look included someone meeting with the player.
The day after that, he was kicked off the team permanently... Is there anything about that, or any of the other facts around this whole thing, that says to you, maybe actually innocent?
Also, I'll repeat the theme of an earlier reply: Did you say, "What if Shawn Oakman is actually innocent?"
I think most *good* TCU fans want to believe all our leaders will hold our students and student-athletes to a higher standard than some of our conference brethren. I think and hope we do, and perfectly willing to accept whatever cost comes with that.

Yeah, but, what if he is actually innocent? There has been no plea, both cases are still pending, and a police report isn't admissible as evidence. That's what trials are for. So, again, what if he is actually innocent? Humor me. How should he act? What should he do?

 

[Froggish]

I see no problem allowing him back for pro day. GPs feels very strongly that his job is to both hold young men accountable in the present and helping them towards a more productive future. Discarding and abandonzing a kid is the wrong approach to growing him up. The exception is when a kid shows no remorse...

 

[frogs9497]

Yeah, but, what if he is actually innocent? There has been no plea, both cases are still pending, and a police report isn't admissible as evidence. That's what trials are for. So, again, what if he is actually innocent? Humor me. How should he act? What should he do?

Did you disagree with the decision to remove him from the team during the season?

 

[Atomic Frawg]

Did you disagree with the decision to remove him from the team during the season?

No. That was appropriate. When a person gets certain types of charges, the person should be sidelined until the matter gets resolved. You would not want the person to continue to play, only to be found guilty of the alleged offense. That is not a good look. So, again, I have no problem with immediate separation from a team pending the outcome.

 

[froginmn]

I think the staff did all they could to try and help keep him eligible for his four years here (GP has even eluded to that) and in the end KT didn't hold up his end of the bargain. I don't really have a whole lot of sympathy for his situation, if he can prove to the scouts he's worth the risk he'll get a chance but it makes little sense to me for TCU (especially in this day and age) to try to include him in Senior Day.

It's a Pro Day, not Senior Day and I don't point it out just as a mistake but to make a relevant point.

Pro Days are events organized by schools to allow players to showcase their skills in a more familiar and comfortable environment. Sometimes the players invited to Pro Days didn't even attend the school that is hosting.

So I don't look at it as inviting a player back to a team activity. The comparison was made to allowing a student back to interview on campus after being kicked out. Again, unless there is a reason to think that someone's safety is in question, I wouldn't think either action is a horrible thing to do.

 

[BABYFACE]

Yeah, but, what if he is actually innocent? There has been no plea, both cases are still pending, and a police report isn't admissible as evidence. That's what trials are for. So, again, what if he is actually innocent? Humor me. How should he act? What should he do?

If the glove don’t fit, you gotta acquit?

 

[BABYFACE]

I don’t think he is innocent based on him being removed from TCU. But, I also think that What the Toad brings up some valid points that Turp could be guilty of something lesser.

I do think Turp showed bad judgement in not coming clean on the NM incident at that particular time and showed further bad judgment remaining in a relationship after the NM incident. When it is toxic, both parties need to go their separate ways. Nothing good can come from staying together in that situation.