Football players are recruited to be tough. But when they walk off the field, they have to play by the
same rules as everyone else.
That lesson has apparently gone ignored by at least nine current and former Bowling Green State
University football players in the past year.
Let me recap the most recent incidents …
• Bryan Thomas, 23, was indicted for felonious assault for striking a bouncer at a downtown Bowling Green
bar on May 29. He reportedly hit the bouncer so hard that he broke his eye socket.
• Jacob Nachtrab, 20, was cited for first-degree misdemeanor assault in the same fight. He is accused of
striking a man several times with closed fists. Nachtrab is no longer with the team.
• Robert Rhodes, 21, was cited for aggravating menacing in the same incident. He reportedly accosted the
victim assaulted by Nachtrab, and demanded money from him.
• William Watson, 22, was cited in the same incident for assault for allegedly hitting the bouncer who
tried to break up the confrontation.
• William Houston, 20, was sentenced for gross sexual imposition. He allegedly got on top of a woman
sleeping at a house. He was sentenced to three years of probation.
• Nick Johnson, 19, was busy off the field. On April 6, he is alleged to have struck a woman he was
dating with a closed fist and choked her. On March 19, he was charged with disorderly conduct after
reportedly participating in a fight. On Feb. 2, he was charged with theft after falsifying info to get a
“lock-out” key, which would allow him access to another student’s room. That charge was reduced to
unauthorized use of property.
• Jerry “Boo Boo” Gates, 22, was charged in May, 2014, with drug trafficking. He later paid a $1,000 fine
on a charge of permitting drug use.
• Jhalil Croley, 21, was arrested in December, 2014 and charged with aggravated trafficking in drugs and
resisting arrest. The charge was reduced to permitting drug abuse.
• Matt Johnson, 22, was charged in December of 2014 with obstructing official business when BG police
found Johnson had $1,500 that was reported stolen by a teammate. Johnson said he took the money as a
“prank.” The charge was reduced to disorderly conduct.
Not exactly a winning record when it comes to off-the-field conduct.
Most of the players were disciplined by suspensions from the team. But not all.
As punishment for his infraction, Matt Johnson missed his chance to travel to last year’s bowl game, but
he will be the starting quarterback this fall.
Rhodes faced internal discipline. And this was not the wide receiver’s first cross over the line. A year
ago, Rhodes was dismissed from the Baylor University football team due to multiple drug-related
violations. BGSU’s new head coach, Dino Babers, coached the wide receivers at Baylor from 2008-11.
I’m not sure what is the root of the problem. Is it that potential recruits are not scrutinized enough
about their self-discipline? Is it enough that they perform well on the field? Is it not made clear that
their behavior on and off the field matters? Or do they somehow believe that since they are college
athletes, they are above the law?
I realize these are young men trying to feel their way through pressures of college football and higher
education courses. Maybe they need some direction on the rules off the field.
BGSU Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Chris Kingston said the university makes no excuses for
students who violate the law.
“Bowling Green State University has extremely high expectations for its student athletes in the
classroom, on the field, and in the community. Misconduct will not be tolerated as we continue to hold
individuals accountable for their actions,” Kingston said in a statement.  
“Coach Babers and I will continue to reinforce with the team the responsibilities and expectations that
come with the privilege of being a Falcon athlete. There are no excuses. We must and we will do better.”

Kingston also pointed out that most student athletes don’t appear in the blotter.   
“Any incident of misconduct is concerning. However, I hope that we don’t lose sight of the fact that the
vast majority of our 425 student athletes, including the more than 100 members of our football team, are
good students, role models in the community, and outstanding representatives of our university.”
That may be true, but it doesn’t take many arrests to give the university a black eye.
While BGSU leaders are trying to bolster their enrollment, they may want to look at the publicity created
by their football players. Records on the field are something to be proud of … but criminal records of
their athletes are not.