Mountaineers' Devine, 3 others plead no contest to battery charges

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MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- West Virginia running back Noel Devine was among four Mountaineers' football players to plead no contest to misdemeanor battery charges after being arrested Thursday.

Also arrested were defensive back Eain Smith, 19; cornerback Brantwon Bowser, 20; and running back/receiver Jockee Sanders, 19, the Morgantown Police Department said in a news release.


[+] EnlargeAP Photo/Mary Schwalm

Noel Devine, who ran for 108 yards and two touchdowns in the Fiesta Bowl, was among four Mountaineer players arrested on Thursday.

Each player pleaded no contest in Morgantown Municipal Court, the police department said.

It was not immediately known whether the municipal court assessed any penalties against the players. A telephone message left Thursday night with the municipal court was not immediately returned.

Police said the charges stemmed from an altercation outside Club Z in Morgantown on Feb. 16 but did not provide details.

"Discipline with the situation has already been handled within the program," WVU football coach Bill Stewart said through a spokesman. He said he would have no further comment.

Last month, Stewart dismissed three other players charged with felony possession of marijuana with the intent to deliver.

West Virginia begins spring practice Friday.

Devine, a 20-year-old freshman, capped a stellar first season with West Virginia by running for 108 yards and two touchdowns in a 48-28 victory over Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl.

Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press

[Nick]

LMAO @ Club Z getting the name drop on the ESPN write-up as well. Great for business, guys!

What I've heard about the other guy's story has been pretty sketchy and leads me to believe this was a pretty minor incident. For being in an altercation with four football players, the guy supposedly didn't have much to show for it.

The bigger story was the three other players being kicked off the team earlier this year following charges of felony possession of marijuana with the intent to deliver, though none of them had anything close to Devine's name recognition.