University of Wisconsin football head coachoach Bret Bielema recently announced the suspension of three football players due to an alleged violation of team rules.
Freshmen Kraig Appleton, Shelby Harris and Nick Hill have all been suspended from the team indefinitely, spokesperson for the Athletic Department Brian Lucas said.
In the case of an indefinite suspension, there is no assigned end time to the punishment, rather the suspending authority — in this case Bret Bielema — can enforce the suspension for however long he deems appropriate.
Lucas, along with other administrators of the Athletic Department, would not provide any details concerning the motivation for the suspensions or the possible consequences the team now faces.
Despite their alleged violations, the three men do remain students at the university, Lucas said.
Appleton, the only one of the three who played last season, is a wide receiver from East St. Louis, IL who finished the season with three receptions for a total of 26 yards.
Harris and Hill, who will be classified as redshirt freshmen next season, both redshirted for the team last year, meaning they did not participate in competition in order to further develop their skills and to extend their eligibility.
During his senior year in high school, Harris, a defensive lineman from Milwaukee who attended Homestead High School, was the number two-ranked player in the state of Wisconsin.
Also from Milwaukee, Hill is a walk-on linebacker from Milwaukee Washington High School who was once named UW’s defensive scout team player of the week last season.
Regardless of the suspensions, Lucas said, the team will still begin spring practices come March 13 to prepare for the annual Red-White spring football game April 27.
Spokesperson for the Athletic Department Justin Doherty said it is not appropriate to speculate as to how a suspension or multiple suspensions may or may not affect a team.
“It’s really unfortunate when promising players put an athletic team’s future in jeopardy because there are so many fans who support UW teams and who want to see them succeed,” UW freshman Catherine Bresnahan said.
