STATESBORO — Georgia Southern’s All-America defensive tackle Brent Russell was arrested outside a campus bar early Sunday morning for disorderly conduct and obstruction of a law officer.
After football practice Monday, Eagles coach Jeff Monken said the senior, who is tied for the school lead in career sacks, will be suspended from the team indefinitely.
Russell was not at practice.
“We’re in the people development business, and it’s our job as coaches to teach lessons to these guys,” Monken said. “Sometimes that takes harsh punishment. (Russell) got in trouble. He did something stupid. I know he’s remorseful for it, but I always try to punish appropriately.”
According to an incident report from the Georgia Southern Department of Safety, Russell was among a crowd when a fight broke out in front of Rude Rudy’s Bar at approximately 1 a.m. on Sunday.
An officer demanded the crowd back away from the fight, but Russell refused.
According to the incident report, Russell, 23, began to curse loudly and was arrested by a Georgia Southern Department of Public Safety officer. He was processed at the Georgia Southern University Police Department and eventually housed at the Bulloch County Sheriff’s Office.
“When you get in trouble and you represent the entire program, as all the guys do and I do, there are expectations that our guys have for conduct the common guy does not have,” Monken said. “That’s what makes these (football players) different. They’re held to a higher standard, so I’m going to hold them to a higher standard.”
Russell is one of the top players in the Football Championship Subdivision. He earned the Southern Conference’s Defensive Player of the Year award last season and is on a watchlist for the Buck Buchanan Award, symbolic for the best defensive player in the FCS.
Monken did not give any indication when Russell might be allowed to rejoin the team. GSU will meet Howard for homecoming on Saturday at 2 p.m. before ending the regular season in Athens against the University of Georgia.
The Eagles, ranked seventh in the FCS, could possibly have playoff games after the regular season.
Monken said sophomore Justice Ejike and red-shirt freshman Jonathan Battle would be called to duty if he decides to sit Russell for any remaining games.
“We have 20,000 kids on this campus, and sometimes kids this age do dumb things,” Monken said. “I have 125 of those guys, and I wish all of them would always make good decisions and not do dumb things. (Russell’s) not the first one to do something dumb. He’s not the first one I’ve suspended, and he probably won’t be the last, unfortunately.”