USF junior tight end Trent Pupello, taking a year off from football as he recovers from injuries from a car accident last fall, was arrested Friday and charged with four felony charges of aggravated assault and aggravated battery, as well as a misdemeanor count of discharging a firearm in public.
Here's a link to the full story in Saturday's Times, and here is his arrest at Mugshots.tampabay.com.
"We have not been involved with Trent Pupello since the beginning of the semester," USF coach Jim Leavitt said in a statement issued Friday night. "He was not going to play for us in 2009 because of an injury and academic issues. I am just learning of the situation. However, if the charges were true, we would never allow anyone that is involved in behavior of that nature to be a part of the USF football program."
Pupello was released from county jail on $25,000 bond. He identified himself to police as working at the Tahitian Inn, which his father Joe owns.
Pupello, who transferred to USF last year after two seasons at Florida, emerged as a starter early last season before he was sidelined by a neck injury suffered in a car accident the week of USF's loss at Louisville. Coach Jim Leavitt said this spring that Pupello would take a year off from football and would not be on scholarship this fall, but could return for his final season of eligibility in 2010.
Pupello was listed on a 2009 football roster released by USF Thursday night but was removed from the roster on USF's official site Friday night.
Times sportswriter Greg Auman, who covers USF, will post news and thoughts on the Bulletin and we invite your participation in the comments area.
HEY PUPELLO.......YOU SUCK........YA' JACKASS!
Posted by: Happy Gilmore Heckler | April 26, 2009 at 10:29 PM
No problem--it's the off-season for us all.
Posted by: Ken | April 26, 2009 at 11:38 AM
I'll try to step things up. Typos like "gis" for "his" I usually let slide ...
Posted by: G.A. | April 25, 2009 at 08:20 PM
USFMike, I'm sure you're right--sorry, Windbane.
Posted by: Ken | April 25, 2009 at 07:54 PM
Ken, it is more likely that he was correcting the statement "you're cronie posted", which is incorrectly using the contraction of "you are".
Posted by: USFMikeB | April 25, 2009 at 07:09 PM
So many typos here.
Somewhere, fourth grade English teachers are crying...
Posted by: Mike Lakeland | April 25, 2009 at 06:34 PM
Sorry, Windbane, but however tiresome Chalko may be, "RR, you're right" is correct.
And, USFShep, it would be "CUT from [not form] the team!"
Greg, these qualify for your attention, as they are errors made while correcting others. I've missed your grammar and spelling lessons.
Posted by: Ken | April 25, 2009 at 06:28 PM
First of all, it's "your," not you're, for that context, Chalky.
Secondly, Road Runner is definitely correct that he has no cronies.
Congratulations on proving yourself to not know what you are talking about once again.
Posted by: Windbane | April 25, 2009 at 02:50 PM
Well he made gis choice. He had a second chance at making after transfering from UF and blew it. Time to move on and use that scholarship for someoneelse that wants to make better decisions for their lives.
Go Bulls!!!!
Posted by: CR | April 25, 2009 at 09:19 AM
@ Chalko...
Do you not read the comments on this blog, sir? You think I have "cronies" here? I receive more flack on here from my fellow fans than you do sometimes.
I'm an independent....I have no cronies.
Posted by: RR | April 25, 2009 at 09:11 AM
RR, you're right. It was no better than the Florida State Criminoles you're cronie posted. It really is no big deal. Leavitt will find another thug to bail out of jail in exchange for a committment.
Posted by: Commish Chalko | April 25, 2009 at 08:34 AM
Good thing we have like 67 other tight ends.
What a moron.
And Chalko......"University of Southern Felons"?? C'mon, man.....you can do better than that. That was a weak effort.
Posted by: RR | April 25, 2009 at 07:49 AM
"I hope we remember we are the USF Bulls and not the Florida State Criminoles"
Hahaa, I thought USF stood for the University of Southern Felons?
Posted by: Commish Chalko | April 25, 2009 at 07:20 AM
Trent, Get Keith Ligori! He's by far the best in the area. And no I do not work for him, just have had a lot of experience using him and have never been convicted! Knock on wood!The most important decision is getting a good lawyer regardless of the price. Especially one well connected.
Posted by: Keith Ligori | April 25, 2009 at 06:42 AM
In fact, he's already off the roster, so they moved pretty quick on that. Since he isn't participating this year, he's got time to get this sorted out legally before USF has to do anything. However, in the end, I don't think we'll ever see this kid in a USF uniform again.
Posted by: USFMikeB | April 25, 2009 at 04:34 AM
Given that he isn't on scholarship this year and isn't participating with the team in any way shape or form, I don't expect a whole lot to happen by Leavitt. We'll probably hear the same old statements that we always hear from Leavitt when kids get in trouble, that he's disappointed, and he's going to wait until the process takes its course before passing any judgment.
However, while there probably won't be any kind of announcement, we'll probably see Pupello's name disappear off the roster. In fact, since he isn't on scholly, it really shouldn't be there anyways, and may have been an error.
Posted by: USFMikeB | April 25, 2009 at 04:27 AM
I hope we remember we are the USF Bulls and not the Florida State Criminoles....please kick him off...even with the idea of him being around or involved with a possible situation as this is cause for concern...
Posted by: rhscoach2005 | April 24, 2009 at 11:11 PM
NIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIICE.
See ya, Trent.
Thanks for all you've done.
Wait, you never really did anything.
Nevermind.
Posted by: RR | April 24, 2009 at 11:09 PM
CUT form the team!
Posted by: USFShep | April 24, 2009 at 10:15 PM
This guy needs to be but from the team ASAP if guilty..give due process but if it happened he has to be let go.
Posted by: USFShep | April 24, 2009 at 10:15 PM
It was a brawl with over 15 people and he gets arrested...I think a decent attorney can get that one reduced in an instant.
Jimmy though is right, but if you're USF, don't you want the family with ya, and not against ya.
Posted by: This one will be interesting... | April 24, 2009 at 09:47 PM
Tim - if convicted? Dude, get him off NOW.
Posted by: Mike Lakeland | April 24, 2009 at 07:46 PM
He is part of the family. Look up the Tahitian Inn it has a shady past.
Posted by: Shut up Jimmy | April 24, 2009 at 07:39 PM
He should be kicked off of the team now.
Posted by: Ken D. | April 24, 2009 at 07:18 PM
Once a Gator always a Gater... He should be kicked off the team if convicted!
Posted by: Tim | April 24, 2009 at 07:03 PM
http://mugshots.tampabay.com/mugs/hillsborough/2009/apr/24/09022920/
I love that feature of the site. I looked at the link to the charge sheet- it is assault and battery with a deadly weapon, meaning he's in a lot trouble. I'd like to read the affadivits when I get a chance.
Posted by: David Weber | April 24, 2009 at 06:31 PM
Wow. That's a big shock.
It's the first really serious thing that a player's been accused of in a while. That's pretty serious time if convicted on all 4 counts, and using a firearm won't help his case. It sounds like he's lucky that wasn't brought up assault/battery with deadly weapon or attempted murder.
It'll be interesting to hear all of the facts as they come out. Can you link to the compliant, GA?
Posted by: David Weber | April 24, 2009 at 06:20 PM