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Football Standout Sean Price Dismissed

By Jesse Wood 

Oct. 14, 2013. Standout Appalachian State wide receiver Sean Price has been dismissed from the football program after being arrested for the second time in three months.

Photo courtesy of App State Sports
Price – Photo courtesy of App State Sports

Hours after the Mountaineers lost to Samford during Homecoming Weekend, Price was arrested on Sunday morning at 1:38 a.m. for grabbing a 20-year-old male by the throat and choking the individual. The incident occurred in the parking lot area of a Darby Court residence just before 1 a.m. early Sunday.

An incident report from the Watauga County Sheriff’s Office notes that the injuries to the victim were “minor.” Along with the felony assault by strangulation charge, Price was charged with being drunk and disruptive and resisting a public officer.

The latest behavior mirrors what happened in mid August when Price was suspended at the beginning of the 2013 season. Price was arrested outside a bar on Howard Street for intoxication and being disruptive, according to a Boone Police Department arrest report. In 2012, Price was also suspended by former head coach Jerry Moore for two games for an undisclosed violation of team rules.

In August, ASU head coach Scott Satterfield released a statement saying, “Sean’s suspension comes with a number of conditions that have to be met, not the least of which is re-earning the trust of the University, the community and his coaches and teammates. We hope that he will meet these conditions and be able to return to the field at some point in the future.”

Price's recent mug shot
Price’s recent mug shot

Price returned to the field after a two-game suspension and caught eight passes, including one for a touchdown, for 99 yards against Elon, helping the Mountaineers secure its first victory of the season. He played just as well in the next game, a loss to Charleston Southern.

On Sunday, Satterfield announced the decision to release the sophomore wide receiver “due to repeated violations of team rules.”

“No player in our program, regardless of how talented he is, is above our team, our University or our community. Repeated behavior that does not meet the high standards that we hold our student-athletes to will not be tolerated. I truly hope that Sean gets on the right track and is able to utilize the talent that he possesses in the future. I wish him nothing but the best,” Satterfield said.

Appalachian State also noted that it would have no further comment on the issue.

Price is a potential NFL draft pick. He was a pre-season All American. In his first year, Price shattered FCS freshman records for receptions held by Cal State Northridge’s Drew Amerson in 1999 and receiving yards by Marshall’s Randy Moss, who has had a very successful career in the NFL, in 1996.

In just 10 games as a redshirt freshman, Price caught 81 passes for 1,196 yards and eight touchdowns in 2012.