Woman shares her sexual assault story with Baylor players

Woman shares her sexual assault story with Baylor players
July 25, 2016


WACO, Texas (AP) A woman who said she was raped by two Oregon State football players and two other men in 1998 shared her story with the Baylor football team Monday.


Brenda Tracy's talk with the Bears came two months after a 13-page report said Baylor failed to properly handle accusations of sexual assault, including some against former football players.


After hearing about Baylor's case, Tracy had called for the NCAA to shut down the football program.


Tracy told ESPN Central Texas radio that Baylor football and basketball players were engaged and paying attention, and that she told them that they have an opportunity to exact real change and be an example to follow. She was invited to campus by Baylor acting head football coach Jim Grobe, who replaced Art Briles within days after the report from the Pepper Hamilton law firm.


''One thing I try to do is make this real for people. Look at me, I'm a human being, I could be your neighbor, I could be your mother, I could be the person behind you at the grocery store,'' she said. ''But I spent all these years wanting to kill myself and hating myself because someone else took my body and I did not give it to them.''


Tracy said what she tries to do is put a ''face and a person and a human experience to rape.''


A month ago, Tracy shared her story with Nebraska's team. The Cornhuskers are coached by Mike Riley, who was Oregon State's coach in 1998.


The Associated Press generally doesn't identify sexual assault victims, but Tracy has spoken publicly about her experience. She has met with NCAA officials and said she will be speaking to other college teams, with expectations that she will be contacted by more.


According to her Twitter profile, she is a ''Single mother, Registered Nurse, DV/SA Survivor turned Activist, Speaker, & Civilian Lobbyist. I believe one person can change the world...''


In a post on her Twitter account ((at)brendatracy24) after the talk, which was closed to the public, Tracy described Grobe as ''a good man with a good heart'' while thanking Baylor for hosting her. She also thanked Baylor players who had tweeted her afterward, responding that she appreciated them and telling them to remember the pledge they made to each other.


Grobe told the AP before Tracy's visit that he had spoken with Riley, who told him it was a hard thing to hear but educational.


''We've got a great group of guys here, not good guys, great guys, great kids that would never be involved in these kinds of situations, but I think educating the good kids is just as important as educating the edgy guys,'' Grobe said earlier this month.


''The number one thing that I hope is that it brings home that these are real issues. It does pertain to you because you are your brother's keeper. ... It's your responsibility to make sure that not only are you behaving well, but that your teammates are behaving well, and we can take care of each other.''


Tracy said she talked to good men and called them out, asking them what can they do ''and how can we change this together.''

Sandusky scandal still casts shadow
July 25, 2016


CHICAGO (AP) Penn State coach James Franklin sees an improved team in Happy Valley - and a program that can't escape the shadow cast by the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal.


Franklin made some pointed comments about negative recruiting against the Nittany Lions, saying there are issues that need to be addressed possibly at the conference level.


''I think there's a fine line to that,'' he said at Big Ten Media Days on Monday. ''I think some things need to be addressed. I do think there's a line you do not cross. But I guess in some ways that's the nature of the beast. I think some people are going to look for weaknesses and try to take advantage of those. But to me, there is a line that you do not cross. We'll see how that whole thing plays out. There is a time and a place for everything.''


Franklin's comments came in the wake of recently disclosed allegations from men who have accused Sandusky of sexual abuse that raised fresh questions about what his fellow Penn State assistant coaches might have seen or known before his November 2011 arrest - and why they have largely kept quiet. The allegations have also raised questions about just how far back late coach Joe Paterno became aware of the situation.


''Negative recruiting happens all over the country. Everyone is dealing with it,'' Franklin said.


But other programs aren't dealing with a situation like this one. Franklin said Nittany Lions coaches ''probably have to answer more tough questions'' than any other staff, particularly on the recruiting trail.


When reports surface, he said he calls recruits as well as their families and coaches to answer questions they might have about the direction of the program.


And he made a point to say Monday that it is headed in the right direction. Now that they are free of sanctions and back to the full 85 scholarships, Franklin insisted the Nittany Lions are ready to make a jump after going 7-6 and making bowl games each of his first two seasons.


''There's very few programs that would have been able to come through what we've come through with the type of success that we've had, two bowl games in a row,'' he said. ''Never had a losing season through the challenges. So there's positives there to build on.''


But can he lead the Nittany Lions back toward the top of a conference with no shortage of big-name coaches.


Michigan in particular has huge expectations after regaining its swagger and going 10-3 in Jim Harbaugh's first season.


''We have big hopes,'' Harbaugh said. ''We've got big dreams. We've got lofty goals. And all those are achievable. And they have to be worked for. You can accomplish anything if the work is realized. And those things have to be earned. So we are in the position right now to work to get the things we want. That's the fact. That's the mentality. That's the attitude.''


Wolverines tight end Jake Butt sees a team with no major weaknesses.


''We've got an experienced offensive line, we've got an experienced run game, we've got a proven run game,'' he said. ''We have a defense that we know we can trust. We've got special teams that we know are going to put us in great positions. They're all little pieces of the puzzle that come together.''


While Ohio State lost 16 starters, J.T. Barrett is returns for his junior season with a 15-2 record and the knowledge that he is the No. 1 quarterback after losing out to Cardale Jones last year and then replacing him.


Barrett and Iowa cornerback Desmond King - the 2015 Thorpe Award winner as the country's top defensive back - highlighted the preseason all-Big Ten selections on Monday.


Barrett was selected to the East Division team along with Michigan defensive back Jabrill Peppers, Michigan State defensive lineman Malik McDowell, Ohio State linebacker Raekwon McMillan and Penn State running back Saquon Barkley by a media panel. Iowa quarterback C.J. Beathard and King, Northwestern running back Justin Jackson and linebacker Anthony Walker, and Wisconsin running back Corey Clement were the West picks.

Huskers punter Foltz is remembered for tenacity, good humor
July 25, 2016


OMAHA, Neb. (AP) An evening he spent at a high school basketball game over the holidays revealed the best of Sam Foltz, the star Nebraska punter who died in a car accident in Wisconsin over the weekend.


Jeff Tomlin, football coach at Grand Island Senior High, said the popular Foltz and his family showed up at the basketball game and tried to blend in with the crowd. Word got around that Foltz was in the gym, and he was coaxed into participating in a halftime half-court shooting contest.


''He got trotted out there, and the first shot he took, he made it, and the crowd erupted,'' Tomlin said Monday. ''It was like no big deal to him. It was supposed to happen that way. Then he spent half a quarter with a handicapped young boy and made his day. That's the kind of person he was.''


Foltz and former Michigan State punter Mike Sadler died in a single-car crash Saturday night after working at a kicking clinic. LSU kicker Colby Delahoussaye was also injured in the crash near Merton, about 30 miles west of Milwaukee.


The 24-year-old Sadler, of Grand Rapids, Michigan, was driving. He and 22-year-old Foltz, of Greeley, Nebraska, both died at the scene. Delahoussaye, 21 of New Iberia, Louisiana, was treated at a Waukesha hospital and released.


Authorities said Sadler lost control on the wet pavement, left the roadway and struck a tree, with a vehicle fire ensuing. The speed limit is 35 mph where the crash occurred, and speed is believed to be a factor, Waukesha County Sheriff's spokeswoman Jennifer Wallschlaeger said.


Evidence at the scene did not suggest alcohol being involved, Wallschlaeger said. The county medical examiner's office planned to do a toxicology report as part of its investigation, she said.


Foltz was a three-year starter for the Cornhuskers and was named the Big Ten's punter of the year. He graduated with a degree in agronomy in May.


Foltz grew up on a farm near Greeley but played youth sports and went to school an hour's drive away in Grand Island. In 2011, Foltz helped lead the Islanders to the state quarterfinals. He was an all-state safety and punter, and he also played wide receiver. As high school teammates, he and current Nebraska backup quarterback Ryker Fyfe formed one of the state's most dangerous passing combinations.


''He brought it every day and didn't take any days off,'' Fyfe said. ''We'd have weights at 6:30 in the morning, and I'd show up at 6:29, and he would have finished up two lifts after getting there at 6 o'clock. He worked so hard, and he cared for other people and made them better. I know he made me better throughout my life.''


As competitive as he was, Foltz also had a knack for entertaining teammates with his quips and jokes. ''He could always find a way to break the tension,'' Tomlin said.


Foltz passed on scholarship offers from a couple FCS schools and Division II programs to walk on at Nebraska.


''That was Sam's makeup: `I want the biggest challenge I can get.' It sounds cliche, but every Nebraska boy's dream is playing for the Huskers. That definitely was part of it for Sam, too,'' Tomlin said.


A vigil was held for Foltz and Sadler outside Memorial Stadium in Lincoln on Sunday night, and coach Mike Riley said counseling would be available for Foltz's teammates. Funeral arrangements have not been announced.


Nebraska begins practice next week, and Riley said quarterback Tommy Armstrong Jr. offered poignant words at a team meeting about the players coming together in the wake of tragedy. Riley said Foltz was dedicated to becoming the best he could be and that he likely would have had a future as a professional.


''He was really proud of being a Nebraska football player,'' said Riley, who's entering his second season. ''It's another great confirmation about why it's so much fun to coach here, the passion Sam had for this place. He loved every bit of it. He earned his spot and was really good.''


Nebraska chose to not participate in the Big Ten's football media days in Chicago this week. Conference Commissioner Jim Delany expressed condolences Monday.


''While we are deeply saddened by their untimely loss, we also recognize the impact they had and the success they achieved as students, athletes, citizens and representatives of their respective communities and institutions,'' Delany said. ''On behalf of the Big Ten, we greatly appreciate the enduring contributions made by these two young men, and our hearts go out to their families during this difficult time.''

Crash kills Nebraska punter, former Michigan State punter
July 25, 2016


WAUKESHA, Wis. (AP) Nebraska punter Sam Foltz and former Michigan State punter Mike Sadler died in a car crash in Wisconsin after working at a kicking clinic, a sheriff's department official said Sunday. LSU kicker Colby Delahoussaye was injured in the crash.


Waukesha County Sheriff's Lt. Thom Moerman said speed was likely a factor in the single-vehicle crash that happened around 11:45 p.m. Saturday.


The 24-year-old Sadler, of Grand Rapids, Michigan, was driving. He and 22-year-old Foltz, of Greeley, Nebraska, both died at the scene. Delahoussaye, 21 of New Iberia, Louisiana, was also a passenger. He was treated at Waukesha Memorial Hospital and released. A statement from LSU said his injuries were minor and that he was scheduled to return home Monday.


Moerman said in a statement that Sadler lost control on the wet pavement, left the roadway and struck a tree.


The University of Nebraska said Sunday the team will skip this week's planned Big Ten media days in Chicago because of Foltz's death.


Foltz was a three-year starter for the Nebraska team and last year he was named the Big Ten's punter of the year. Foltz graduated from Nebraska with a degree in agronomy in May. He led the Big Ten in punting last year at 44.2 yards per kick and ranked fifth in school history (42.6).


Nebraska Coach Mike Riley said Foltz was respected on the team and had a positive influence on everyone he interacted with.


''The young men in our football program are hurting but I know that their strength of character and resolve will bring us together and we will honor Sam every day moving forward,'' Riley said.


Several hundred friends and teammates of Foltz gathered outside Memorial Stadium in Lincoln Sunday afternoon to remember him. Several players talked about how hard Foltz worked and his faith in God.


''Sam was a kind and thoughtful young man who was a leader on the playing field, in the classroom, and in his community,'' Nebraska Chancellor Ronnie D. Green said in a statement. ''He was an exemplary student-athlete who grew as a player and as a person on his path to recent completion of his degree in agronomy from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and anyone who knew him can testify that he had an enduring influence on those around him.''


Sadler was a four-year starter and four-time academic All-American at Michigan State. He finished his college playing career after the 2014 season. He drew something of a cult following during his playing days because of his sense of humor and wit.


''I just asked my waitress what sport she thought I played. Her answer? Disk golf. Time to reevaluate my life,'' Sadler once tweeted.


He helped get his own mock Heisman Trophy candidacy rolling one season by pushing the hashtag (hash)sadler4heisman. He would also regularly exchange funny lines on Twitter with the (at)FauxPelini account, a popular parody of the former Nebraska and current Youngstown State coach Bo Pelini.


''Mike impacted so many people not only as a football player, but also from an academic standpoint and in the community as well,'' Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio said in a statement. ''The world has lost a rising star who dreamed big and was accomplishing those dreams, one after another. He was one of those people that brightened your day.''


Dan Tracy with Kohl's Kicking said both Sadler and Foltz had been working at a weekend clinic at the camp in Wisconsin. Tracy said the camp ended early Sunday after an announcement about the deaths.


A statement from kicking camp director Jamie Kohl said the staff was mourning with the players' families and football programs.


''We mourn today with all of the people who were better men and women for knowing Sam and Mike,'' Kohl said. ''Our thoughts and prayers are with them.''