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TCU 360

All TCU. All the time.

TCU 360

A TCU student reaches for a Celsius from a vending machine- a refreshing boost amidst a hectic day of lectures and exams. (Kelsey Finley/Staff Writer)
The caffeine buzz is a college student's drug
By Kelsey Finley, Staff Writer
Published Apr 18, 2024
College students seem to have a reliance on caffeine to get them through lectures and late night study sessions, but there are healthier alternatives to power through the day.

Quarterback Casey Pachall suspended indefinitely after arrest on suspicion of DWI

Quarterback+Casey+Pachall+suspended+indefinitely+after+arrest+on+suspicion+of+DWI

A crowd of reporters clustered around Stan Pachall Thursday afternoon as he arrived at the Mansfield Jail to bail out his son, Casey. 

He was surrounded by microphones and cameras, as reporters shouted out questions. “We just drove up here from Brownwood so we can see our son,” Stan Pachall said. “I heard it on the media. I mean, that’s the sad part.”

By the time his parents made the 150-mile drive from Brownwood, TCU’s quarterback had spent more than 12 hours in police custody.

“I was at work and got a text on my phone from the media saying that Casey had been arrested,” Stan Pachall said.

According to the police report, Officer N. Lehman saw Casey Pachall, 21, fail to stop on Devitt Street before he ran over a curb with his right rear tire. Casey Pachall was arrested shortly after midnight on suspicion of driving with a blood alcohol content of greater than or equal to 0.15. The legal limit in Texas is 0.08.

Patterson disappointed, but focused on Iowa State game

Casey Pachall was released after a $1,000 bail was posted. His arrest on the eve of TCU’s first Big 12 home game reverberated through campus as head coach Gary Patterson announced Pachall was suspended indefinitely.

"For me, kids screw up. There are team policies. There are university policies. There are rules and he knew what was in place,” Patterson later explained in an interview with SiriusXM College Sports.

Pachall has thrown for 948 passing yards and 10 touchdowns in four games for TCU this season, including a perfect nine-for-nine passing game against Grambling State. His career includes 3,947 passing yards with 36 touchdowns and eight interceptions

Against Boise State last year, Pachall threw for 473 yards, the most by a TCU quarterback under head coach Gary Patterson and the second-best single-game total in school history.

Patterson said he didn’t know how long Pachall would be suspended and that he is focused on the team’s next game. 

“I’ve been more calm about how to handle this football team because it’s a young football team.” Patterson said. “How I handle this not only affects Casey Pachall but it affects how I’m going to deal with 65 out of the 85 that are freshmen and sophomores that are scholarship guys.” 

Pachall’s consequences with the university

There are no specific policies outlined in the TCU student handbook about off-campus alcohol violations or arrests. But Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Kathy Cavins-Tull wrote in an email that when the university becomes aware of off-campus student behavior that may negatively impact the university community, TCU’s Office of Campus Life might conduct an investigation.

 “We have a shared responsibility to respond to the behavior of our students on or off campus,” Cavins-Tull wrote.

According to Patterson, Pachall was disciplined in the spring after he failed a student-athlete drug test. Pachall’s behavior was the focus of the preseason TCU media luncheon after police reports revealed that Pachall, 21, admitted to police he had failed a team drug test in February. He also told officers that he had tried ecstasy and cocaine within the last year.

Pachall made the statement after police arrested his roommate, former TCU football player Tanner Brock, who has since pleaded guilty to selling marijuana to an undercover police officer.

According to a criminal history report through the Texas Department of Public Safety, Pachall has no prior criminal charges on record. 

Stan Pachall said his son’s arrest was “a wake-up call” and that Casey’s arrest wasn’t unique, but his status as a starting quarterback brought media scrutiny.

“His problem is he’s a starting quarterback and that’s why we’re in this position that we’re in right now,” Stan Pachall said. “If he was just a regular student at TCU, you guys wouldn’t be talking to me right now.

And so, he’s got a whole lot more responsibility on his shoulders, and he needs to be responsible for himself” Stan Pachall said. “Now, we’re going to start that journey, and we’ll see where it leads us.”

J.D. Moore and Jake Harris contributed to this article. 

The police report from the Fort Worth police is below:

 


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