YSU takes disciplinary action against suspect

By HAROLD GWIN and PETE MOLLICA
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITERS
YOUNGSTOWN -- Youngstown State University's Student Affairs and Police departments have taken undisclosed disciplinary action against freshman football player Anthony Norman Jr. in the wake of his arrest Tuesday in an Akron murder.
YSU spokesman Ron Cole said officials reviewed the case Wednesday against Norman and took action in accordance with the YSU Code of Student Conduct. Federal law prohibits the university from releasing details, he said.
YSU wants to assure the university and the community that it has taken active steps to ensure the safety of the campus, its students, faculty and staff, Cole said.
Norman, 19, is from Akron but was living on Madison Avenue while attending YSU. He is charged with murder, attempted murder and felonious assault stemming from a gunfight July 8 in Akron with another Akron man in which an innocent bystander, Christopher Harris, 23, was fatally wounded, police said.
Norman remained in Mahoning County Jail on Wednesday, awaiting transfer to Akron.
On Penguins team
He was a redshirt freshman member of the YSU football team, coming from Akron Buchtel High School and walked on to the Penguin football program.
College football players have five years to play four years, so those who aren't going to play immediately are "redshirted." And players who aren't recruited and pay their own way are called walk-ons.
YSU head football coach Jon Heacock said he was "shocked, surprised and disappointed" when he heard the news about Norman.
"Tony Norman was a member of our football family and like every other family we are a very close-knit group, so it was a shock to all of us," Heacock said.
Heacock said Norman was a "scout" team player for the past two seasons, meaning he was a reserve player who ran the opposition's plays against the YSU varsity in practice.
"Tony was a player here who did all that was asked of him," Heacock said. "He was always at practice and he always went to class. He worked hard, but he was probably still a year or two away from being a regular part of our program."
Norman, who is listed on the YSU 2005 football roster at 5 feet, 11 inches tall and 220 pounds, came to the Penguins as a fullback prospect in 2004. He was moved to defense this season and was a linebacker.
He was redshirted in 2004 and this season as a redshirt freshman he had not seen any action in the Penguins first eight games.
Heacock said he doesn't think the situation will effect the team's preparation for Saturday's big Gateway Conference at Northern Iowa.
"We met as a group today and discussed the whole issue," Heacock said Wednesday. "We had a really good practice today, and I'm hopeful that we'll be able to carry that through to Saturday."