Football Dreams Turned Nightmare: College Athletes Involved in Gang Rape

Two college football players, Eddie Scott and Mackey Davis, chased their dreams across the country only to find themselves accused of participating in the gang rape of an 11-year-old runaway in a Fresno, California apartment. The alleged attack occurred in early July, and investigators have questioned several other men, including six football players from junior colleges, with more arrests expected pending DNA test results. The incident is part of a series of high-profile cases involving college athletes in the rural West.

Key Takeaways:

• Eddie Scott and Mackey Davis, both 19 and 20 years old, respectively, are accused of participating in the gang rape of an 11-year-old runaway in Fresno, California.
• The alleged attack occurred in a run-down apartment complex where the players lived, and investigators believe up to eight other people may have been involved.
• Scott and Davis pleaded not guilty, but their attorney, Jack Revvill, suggests that every case must be decided on its own.
• The incident is part of a larger pattern of high-profile cases involving college athletes in the rural West, including two former Montana State University athletes charged with murdering a suspected drug dealer.
• Community colleges offer a way for talented players to develop their games and catch on with major four-year programs, but can also attract players with academic or behavioral problems.
• Scott and Davis were drawn to community college football as a way to escape troubled hometowns and improve their prospects for a better life.
• The players' backgrounds are marked by instability and bouncing from one community-college program to another.

Statistics:

• Up to eight people may have been involved in the alleged gang rape.
• Six other men, including five football players from junior colleges, have been questioned by investigators.
• At least two other college athletes in the rural West have been charged with high-profile crimes, including two former Montana State University athletes accused of murdering a suspected drug dealer.

Sources:

• Associated Press (Juliana Barbassa)
• Fresno Police Department
• Reedley College athletic department
• Hutchinson Community College athletic department