TCU has rescinded the press credentials of Steven Johnson, a reporter for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, following a locker room incident that led to the dismissal of a player. The newspaper revealed the credential revocation on Wednesday, noting that Johnson had his access pulled on Sunday. This action came after apparent threats were made to the victim of the assault, which occurred on August 13.
Johnson was scheduled to cover the Horned Frogs' game against North Carolina in Dublin, Ireland, and remains on track to travel for that event.
The Star-Telegram is the only local news outlet that covers TCU athletics on a full-time basis. The incident involved safety Jacob Fields, who was dismissed from the team five days after the altercation. Tensions between Fields and teammates had reportedly been building during fall camp.
According to the newspaper, Fields felt targeted by insults and threats, including instances where he was allegedly spit on by a teammate. The program's general manager contacted campus police the day after the incident.
The other player involved, junior wide receiver Dozie Ezukanma, identified himself in a now-deleted Instagram video. In the footage, Ezukanma stated that Fields struck him from behind, causing him to hit the ground and lose consciousness. "How you gon' sucker punch me, bro?
That's your teammate," Ezukanma said in the video, as reported by the Star-Telegram. A person close to Fields later offered a different perspective, stating that Fields did not face bullying or mistreatment beforehand. Instead, this source attributed the rising tensions to competitive football and questionable plays during practice.
