Terrapin football player Rick Costa has been suspended from the team indefinitely after being charged with assault because of a fight outside Cornerstone Grill and Loft that hospitalized a police officer early Saturday morning.
The senior linebacker was arrested on charges of first-degree assault of a police officer and two counts of second-degree assault after a drunken altercation spiraled out of control.
According to the county police report, the fight began at 2:25 a.m. when two Cornerstone bouncers denied Costa and two other men entry to the bar, saying it was closed. After exchanging words, the intoxicated and disorderly Costa hit both bouncers in the face before another employee was able to push him away from the two victims.
An on-duty police officer witnessed the fighting and approached the scene. The officer identified himself to Costa, who then struck the officer in the face and eye, injuring him. The officer then subdued Costa with pepper spray.
Two more officers arrived soon after and placed Costa under arrest. The injured officer was taken to Prince George's Hospital Center for treatment for facial bruising and a scratched cornea. The bouncers were treated on the scene and released.
At his Tuesday news conference, coach Ralph Friedgen announced Costa has been suspended from all team activities in accordance with the university's Student-Athlete Code of Conduct.
Costa was not made available for comment.
Costa was released from his scholarship at Temple after a 2005 fight, though he was not criminally charged. He will not be eligible to play for the Terps again until the case is decided, according to the Code of Conduct.
If Costa were convicted or pled guilty, he would be immediately dismissed from the team. If exonerated, Friedgen and Athletics Director Debbie Yow would decide if he can rejoin the team, according to Assistant Athletics Director Kathleen Worthington.
"Once the issue has been resolved, Rick's status with the team will be re-evaluated," said Friedgen, who declined to comment further on the incident.
District 1 Commander Maj. Kevin Davis said the charges, particularly the felony assault of the officer, could result in grim consequences for the linebacker.
"These are serious charges, and they should be taken seriously," Davis said. "An assault on a police officer is like an assault on society. They're public servants of society."
Davis also said the injured officer will not be able to go on active duty for at least the next month due to the severity of his eye wound. He is being compensated for his extended leave.
Neither the manager on duty Friday night at Cornerstone nor the bouncer involved in the altercation could be reached for comment.
It is not the first time Terp football players have been in trouble at Cornerstone. In November 2005, three Terps were suspended for their roles in a brawl at the bar.
But for now, the Terps must replace Costa, who has played in all nine games this season, recording 22 tackles and three sacks as a back-up LEO. Friedgen said redshirt freshman Derek Drummond, who has played sparingly this season, will move up the depth chart behind senior Trey Covington to fill Costa's role when the Terps take on No. 17 North Carolina on Saturday at Byrd Stadium.
Senior defensive tackle Jeremy Navarre said the Terps, who are looking to secure their first ACC Championship appearance in the season's final three weeks, are ready to move on.
"Hopefully, everything gets figured out," Navarre said. "We'll be fine. Whatever happened, happened. We'll just focus on the game now. Nobody's really distracted about it."
edetweillerdbk@gmail.com, goondbk@gmail.com
Be the first to comment on this article!
Log in to be able to post comments.