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Kid who beat up his HS baseball coach still has football scholarship to Utah

Mar 12, 2010, 11:00 AM EDT

28 Comments

Redlands East Valley High School quarterback Tyler Shreve will have an interesting bio section in the University of Utah press guide next season, should he make the team. His “personal” paragraph might read something like this: “After being told that he was being kicked off the baseball team for being disrespectful to his coaches, responded to the news by tackling and pummeling the head coach. This happened in front of his parents, and the school principal.”
But don’t worry, Utes fans! As of today, Shreve’s football scholarship is still intact.


Shreve, 18, of Redlands, Calif., didn’t waste much time alienating his baseball coaches, apparently. He was dismissed from the team on Feb. 24 for being disrespectful to his coaches, and missing some classes. During a meeting with head baseball coach James Cordes, Shreve, his parents and the school principal, Shreve was told that he was being dismissed from the team, and reacted how anyone would. He pounced on Cordes and wrestled him to the ground. From ESPN Rise:

Shreve, a 6-foot-4 pitcher and starting quarterback, was expelled last Thursday and was formally charged with misdemeanor battery on a school official Friday, according to Susan Mickey, spokeswoman for the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s office.

“When it all happened I was just going off pure emotion because something like this has never happened to me before,” Shreve said. “Everything’s still on track right now. Utah’s been there for me. They’ve helped me throughout this whole thing. “[Whittingham] made some other phone calls to make sure what I told him was true and it was true. They’ve totally stood by me and had my back.”

“I was just distraught and my dad reassured me that everything was going to be OK,” Shreve said of his mindset after the incident. “We talked to Utah, and then the scouts started calling me and telling me that they were still going to be on me and look at me. So, right now I feel pretty good about where I stand. Obviously, it wasn’t as good as it was a month ago, but I do feel really bad about what happened and it’s a tragedy that it all had to turn out like that.”

Yessir. Utah football coach Kyle Whittingham does not think a little thing like criminal battery on your high school coach in front of your parents should automatically preclude you from joining his squad.

“We plan to wait until the legal process has run its course before we make a decision on Tyler,” Whittingham said in a statement.

Meanwhile, a bit to the west, Oregon’s Chip Kelly is watching with interest. I hear that he’s going to need a quarterback.
Shreve will be arraigned May 13 in San Bernardino, Calif., and if convicted could face a $2,000 fine and up to one year in county jail. Um, that won’t be in the bio.
***
Utah recruit charged with battering coach [ESPN Rise]

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  1. Paul in KY - Mar 12, 2010 at 12:45 PM

    May I be the first to say ‘Ryan Leaf Jr.’
    I’m sure he got the idea he was omnipotent at home & unfortunately, Utah (or another school, cause there’d be another school if Utah let him go) is enabling his ‘God complex’.
    To any future girlfriends/boyfriends, I wouldn’t break up with him in person.

  2. Tom Tomon - Mar 12, 2010 at 1:54 PM

    Tom in CT:
    I realize that people are “innocent until proven guilty” but he committed this crime in front of his parents and the school principal. Just because he’s a “jock” he’s supposed to get away with it? I don’t think he should. He should be sent to prison for five years and be on probation after that for ten years. That would ruin his football career? Too darn bad! When he becomes an “adult”
    (if he ever does emotionally) he should get a “real job” that pays only $30,000 or $35,000 a year not a football career where he would get $8,000,000 a year.

  3. Bucknut - Mar 12, 2010 at 2:15 PM

    What a turd, just like his parents. If I had done that to anyone my Dad would have beaten my ass for being a spoiled brat. What a pair of enabling pieces of crap. You reap what you sow you two losers.

  4. notajock - Mar 12, 2010 at 2:53 PM

    Can you say “roid rage”

  5. Andy in CA - Mar 12, 2010 at 3:06 PM

    I am an educator and a coach so I have seen this trend first hand for the last decade. Unfortunately, a lot of kids are told from an early age over and over how great they are at whatever sport they play and when a coach makes a decision they disagree with, the kid and the parents go off. I guess they feel they are entitled to everything without having to play by the rules of the team. Sad state of affairs.

  6. bajoubandit - Mar 12, 2010 at 3:07 PM

    Can u believe that all the concern was over who had his back. It wasn’t until at the end that this wuse even acknowledged the attack. Bucknut, your absolutely correct. His “parents” are puke!

  7. CRB - Mar 12, 2010 at 3:13 PM

    The epitome of everything that is wrong in this country right now. To some, far too many in fact, what you can do matters far more than who you are … character, moral compass, integrity.

  8. Andy in NC - Mar 12, 2010 at 3:22 PM

    I’m really surprised “mom” & “dad” didn’t get in on the beating. They obviously trained this ***** that anything is okay with them. I certainly will never watch Utah, Whittingham or Shreve on any telecast that includes these jerks. What a slap in the face of college sports to allow someone like that to attend your school.

  9. CRB - Mar 12, 2010 at 3:32 PM

    This would be a good time and place for the NCAA to step in.

  10. Ann - Mar 12, 2010 at 3:45 PM

    If I were the baseball coach I’d sue the parents and principal.

  11. Utah Fan - Mar 12, 2010 at 3:48 PM

    Whittingham is a great coach and a really good guy in general, but this decision is HUGE mistake. I don’t care how good this kid may or may not be, I’d rather watch the Utes lose than know that we’re winning with a jerk like that on the field. And I’m not so naive as to think that every team doesn’t have jerks like this already. But why knowingly bring a guy with a history of that type of behavior onto the team? Mark my words- if he comes to Utah we will hear stories like this again. Not worth it…

  12. Nathan - Mar 12, 2010 at 3:51 PM

    That the alumni would allow this to continue speaks towards their ethos also. It’s not all about winning. Heck, for a very long time Hitler was a winner too.

  13. Skippy - Mar 12, 2010 at 3:56 PM

    Why has this not made headlines???!!!! And why in God’s name has Utah not been lambasted over this sorry excuse of skin. The parents should be held liable for their obvious narcissistic kid. I am disgusted that the school that house this waste of breath hasn’t done more to stop the recruitment. Why the hell is wrong with our society today???? When will kids stop having kids, and learn to be parents and give direction not concede to the child’s every whim. Total bullshit!!!!

  14. Karen - Mar 12, 2010 at 4:01 PM

    High School students work so hard to be accepted to a great college or university and to have this slime ball take a spot instead of them is horrible. Lets hear just what his GPA is or how about what community service he has done? How many honor classes did he take. Late night study sessions..oh that is right forgot the article mentioned he did not go to class.
    What is wrong people….what great student we are rewarding with scholarships.

  15. Grubish - Mar 12, 2010 at 4:38 PM

    This is not something new, If you want to see poor sportsmanship, just go to a 9-10 or 11-12 girls softball game in Bloom Carrol, Ohio. As a volunteer, I was threatened, followed to my car, booed, screamed at, and eventually fired (in front of all the kids) because I told a coach that she could swear at the kids, then eventually had to eject her after two warnings.
    It is more important for people to coddle their children than teach them right from wrong. From the Michael “Ron Mexico” Vicks of the world to the “Me-Shawn” Johnsons, we have sports idols with no ethics or integrity. These parents should lose custody of any further children because they can really sit there and tell this kid that he deserves another shot.
    Where do we draw the line on sports and athletes behavior? Do we continue to canonize someone because of their fastball or ability to run a football? I think there are a lot of “dumb” kids from my high school that earned diplomas while the star running back was known to be illiterate, that would agree.
    Sports has become more than entertainment and those with integrity and work ethics are pushed out because they don’t have “talent”.
    With steroids, dog fighting, murderers, dope dealers, liars cheats and gamblers as our idols, I fear for the kids.

  16. Jayme - Mar 12, 2010 at 5:51 PM

    How do you know the Parents didnt react? What exactly did the coach say? This story is very one-sided and does not ring of the whole truth. If the coach at Utah Heard his story, then confirmed his story with other witnesses and was satisfied, then i believe this young man was provoked. I know a few coaches whom could use their Arse kicked, they are not God’s gift to athletics. I was assulted by my High School football coach repeatedly, but since it was my choice to play for the team, it was my fault. He got away with this behavior for years until one of his facemask tugs severly sprained a young man. Just cause he is the coach and the adult, means nothing.

  17. Karen - Mar 12, 2010 at 6:08 PM

    Jayme…search Press Enterprise Tyler Shreve..its a local paper running this hideously immature kid’s story. You will change your defensive stance of this 18year old slime ball.

  18. Nick - Mar 12, 2010 at 6:19 PM

    I’m still trying to figure out how he was disrespectful to the coaches to warrant him being kicked off the team… jk.

  19. Nick - Mar 12, 2010 at 6:21 PM

    I’m still trying to figure out how he was disrespectful to the coaches that warranted him being kicked off the team… jk.

  20. Katie - Mar 12, 2010 at 11:54 PM

    All I can say is, “Go, BYU!”

  21. howdy - Mar 13, 2010 at 3:00 PM

    When parents support kids that make irresponsible choices in behavior, then schools cannot be held responsible for failure to educate. The sense of entitlement among athletes, sadly, is not unique; however, OJ Simpson might have some reflective thoughts about where it all can lead.
    C’mon people, it’s a GAME:It’s entertainment and pseudo status. Too much money and privalege are awarded to those skilled at a flipping game, instead of those who research, discover, or produce improvements in our culture, i.e. actually THINK. For goodness sake, isn’t there something better to do with your spare time, like use your brain?

  22. Walt - Mar 13, 2010 at 4:25 PM

    UTAH IS ANOTHER COUNTRY, GOVERNED BY THE MORMAN’S WHO PUSH THE MOST REDICOLUS LAWS, 85% OF THEIR LAWS ARE REVERSED AT A FEDERAL LEVEL. NOW THEY WANT TO TRY A WOMAN WHO HAS AN ABORTION TO SAVE HER OWN LIFE FOR FELONY MURDER. THE MORMAN CHURCH HAS OVER 53 BILLION DOLLARS OFF SHORE AND NOW PROBABLY HAVE MORE MONEY THAN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH THE OTHER BUSINESS. THEY DO NOT HAVE THE LAND THE CATHLOICS HAVE BUT THEY ARE A VERY SUCESSFUL BUSINESS. DOWN WITH THE UTES MAY UTAH LOOSE EVERY GAME.

  23. Utah Fan - Mar 14, 2010 at 3:19 AM

    Thanks to Walt for representing the “Tin Foil Hat” community. Dude- if you’re going to make up stories about Utah and the predominant religion – at least spell the nickname of the church correctly. We are “Mormons” not “Mormans”. It may help with what little credability you have left.
    And do me a favor and stick to the topic of the story. Take your anti-Mormon garbage someplace else.

  24. Sam Kasmir - Mar 15, 2010 at 12:56 AM

    What everyone seems to miss in this blog is that Coach Whitt wants to find out the facts before he makes a decision. Read the quote again… “We plan to wait until the legal process has run its course before we make a decision on Tyler,” Whittingham said in a statement.
    Coach Whitt will get the facts from the police report and the legal process may make the decision for him. I would only believe what comes out of Coach Whitt’s mouth, not Shreve. Stop making up stories!
    Anyway, it seems to me that this kid wants to get drafted and play baseball.

  25. Michael H. - May 19, 2010 at 3:30 PM

    This was a sad attempt at humor to throw in a cheap shot. What reason is there to disrespect Coach Kelly and the Oregon program that way? Those players who deserved it were suspended or removed from the team. Those that weren’t had circumstances that I suggest you educate yourself on before lowing yourself to such attacks.

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