Article:Youthful mistakes or stupidity? Aggie players land in pokey

As if the Texas A&M football program needs more egg on its face. Already, Bear Bryant is spinning in his grave. According to KTRK-TV in Houston, a pair of Aggie football players have been accused of tying up and mugging a drug dealer at gunpoint have been indicted on felony robbery charges, the Bryant County district attorney's office said. Yemi Babalola, 21, and Brandon Joiner, 18, were indicted Thursday on two counts each of aggravated robbery, the prosecutor's office said

Joiner also was indicted on one felony count of manufacturing or delivering methamphetamine and two misdemeanor counts of possessing marijuana and hydrocodone, according to the district attorney's office. Babalola also faces a misdemeanor marijuana possession charge. Aggravated robbery in the state of Texas is a first-degree felony punishable by 5 to 99 years or life in prison. Manufacturing or delivering a controlled substance is a second-degree felony punishable by 2 to 20 years in prison.

Neither man had an attorney listed in his court file, and The Associated Press could not find home telephone numbers for them. Neither immediately returned e-mail messages seeking comment. Both players have been suspended by new Aggie head coach Mike Sherman pending the outcome of their cases. The indictments were first reported by the Bryan-College Station Eagle.

According to the police statement, one resident suffered minor injuries in the alleged November 29 home invasion at the Callaway Villas Apartments. Police said two men entered the apartment, one carrying a semiautomatic pistol. The investigation led to searches of both suspects' homes, where drugs -- marijuana, ecstasy and hydrocodone, which is also marketed as vicodin -- and other evidence were found, according to the police statement.

Babalola, a 315-pound offensive tackle, played in nine games last season, including six starts. He was suspended indefinitely and did not play in the Aggies' 24-17 loss to Penn State in the Alamo Bowl. Joiner, a freshman defensive end from Killeen, took a redshirt season and didn't play. He was also suspended indefinitely from team activities. Last month, athletics director Bill Byrne said in a written statement that both players would remain suspended from the football team "until cleared of any wrongdoing." Texas A&M sports information director Alan Cannon did not immediately return a phone message on Friday morning.