Antwain Easterling

Antwain Easterling (born November 24, 1987) is an American Football player. His playing career started at the nationally ranked Miami Northwestern High School and briefly continued at the University of Southern Mississippi.

High school career

During his senior year Easterling rushed for 2,831 yards and scored 33 touchdowns.cite web
url =http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/football/cusa/2007-07-26-easterling-scrutiny_N.htm?csp=34
title = "Easterling ready for scrutiny after high school sex arrest"
publisher = USA Today
accessdate = 2008-04-13
author = Tim Doherty, The (Jackson, Miss.) Clarion-Ledger
day
year =
month =] Easterling helped the team win the controversial 2006 Class AAAAAA (6A) Florida High School State Championship.

College career

Easterling was once consider a top college recruit and had been ranked by Rivals.com as the 17th best running back of 2006 and as high as the fifth best running back in the USA by ESPN.com. He also received rating of 5.8 which placed him as one of the top 300 seniors in the nation, a possible All-American and “deemed to have pro potential and ability to make an impact on college team”. [http://rivals100.rivals.com/viewprospect.asp?pr_key=31007 "Antwine Easterling Stats" rivals.com website] ]

Easterling was heavily recruited by the University of Florida, Florida State University, University of Miami, Mississippi State University, University of Nebraska, Notre Dame and Rutgers University but those schools backed away and did not offer him scholarships due to some of the legal issues that plagued Easterling during his senior year.

Easterling enrolled at University of Southern Mississippi where he played in two games in 2007. He carried 16 times for 86 yards, with 15 of those carries accounting for a team-high 85 yards in USM’s 37-7 victory at the University of Alabama-Birmingham. [ [http://clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080219/SPORTS030104/80219039 "USM suspends running back Easterling", The Clarion-Ledger, February 19, 2008] ]

On February 19, 2008 University of Southern Mississippi Head Football Coach Larry Fedora announced the indefinite suspension of freshmen Antwain Easterling for violating team rules. It was Easterling's second suspension at Southern Miss. [ [http://media.www.studentprintz.com/media/storage/paper974/news/2008/02/19/Sports/Fedora.Suspends.Easterling.Dailey-3222343.shtml "Fedora Suspends Easterling and Dailey", Student Printz, Andy Hess, February 19, 2008] ]

A person close to the situation anonymously confirmed that Easterling would not be returning to the team and it was reported that the schools Registrar's Office confirmed that Easterling was no longer enrolled at the school. [ [http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=3347039&campaign=rss&source=NCFHeadlines "Suspended Easterling decides not to return to program", ESPN.com, Joe Schad, April 15, 2008] ]

2006 arrest

On December 7, 2006, Easterling was arrested and charged with lewd and lascivious battery on a minor for having sex with a fourteen year-old girl in a bathroom at Miami Northwestern High School three months earlier. He admitted to police in their Arrest Affidavit that he committed the act. He was placed in a diversionary program instead of going to trial for the assault. [ [http://cbs4.com/local/local_story_341155709.html "It'll Probably Be Game On For Antwain Easterling", CBS4, December 9, 2006] ]

The Final Report of the Miami-Dade County Grand Jury for Circuit Court of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit of Florida in and for the County of Miami contained the following excerpts in regards to Easterling:

The football star pursued her, again and again. On September 16, 2006, the night of an “away” football game, flush with victory, he pursued her again. This time, upon returning to the school, he was successful. The result was a sexual experience on a cold bathroom floor at the school. In the State of Florida such an act between and 18-year old and a 14-year old is a crime. It is a third-degree felony. [ [http://www.miamisao.com/publications/grand_jury/2000s/gy2006f.pdf "Final Report of Miami-Dade County Grand Jury, Justice Intercepted: The All Consuming Power of Football", June 7, 2007] ]

Easterling's family, including his father, mother and aunt, believe that he was set up and the victim of a conspiracy to "snub him of his achievements". Enisel Joseph, Easterling's father, was quoted as saying, in reference to his son's arrest, "Somebody got to get paid to do some mess like that." His mother, Emma Easterling, was quoted as saying, "I hope it blows over because it's ridiculous. It's ridiculous." [ [http://cbs4.com/topstories/Antwain.Easterling.Northwestern.2.400358.html "Antwain Easterling Plays In Game, Team Wins 34-14", Shomari Stone, December 9, 2006] ]

References