Tennessee State quarterback Denny Croft, who started four games for the Tigers during the 2018 season, was charged on sexual battery and rape allegations by a grand jury, reports indicate.
According to the Tennesseean, Croft, a Minnesota transfer, was charged on six counts of rape and two counts of sexual battery related to a Dec. 1, 2018 incident.
Public TSU crime logs show someone reported a Dec. 1 rape months later, on April 4. According to the crime log, the rape was reported as occurring at about 2 p.m. on campus. The indictment lists TSU police officer Thomas Phelps as the prosecutor, indicating the university police department led the investigation and presented evidence to the grand jury.
Croft, according to TSU head coach Rod Reed, participated in the team’s initial spring scrimmage, but was not with the Tigers for its second scrimmage, with Reed indicating that Croft had to take care of a “personal matter.”
In response to the incident, the university released a statement saying it was aware that an athlete was arrested in a criminal matter, the Tennesseean reported.
The statement did not name Croft or go into details about the alleged incident.
Croft, Reed said, was uncertain for the season opener against on Aug. 31 against Mississippi Valley State.
Croft missed the last five games of the 2018 season with a shoulder injury.
