This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Now that a felony charge has been filed against University of Utah cornerback Dominique Hatfield, this case has advanced beyond the point where coach Kyle Whittingham can say he's just waiting for the legal system to run its course.
Whittingham has yet to publicly address the issue. In suggesting that Whittingham indefinitely suspend Hatfield from team activities, I'm not saying the player should be completely separated from the program. Yet until the point when the aggravated robbery charge is reduced from a felony — if that happens — I don't see how Whittingham and the Utes could proceed with Hatfield lining up with the first-team defense when practice begins in early August.
Having a possible felony conviction hovering above an active player in the program is not healthy, in any sense.
And this is not a case of me declaring Hatfield guilty or the Utes giving up on him. One potential outcome is Hatfield redshirting in 2015 as his legal issues play out, then returning to the team with two years of eligibility remaining.
This is a significant charge, far beyond the citation for underage possession of alcohol for quarterback Travis Wilson last summer, just as an example. This case requires action from Whittingham, without dismissing Hatfield from the program at this point.
Hatfield is a product of Los Angeles' tough Crenshaw area, and he has talked about overcoming that background and avoiding trouble. He had made a good impression at Utah, until this week. "I wasn't always the smartest guy," Hatfield told The Tribune's Gordon Monson last August. "I didn't always make the best decisions. But with help of family and friends, I took a different road."
Whether or not Hatfield has veered to another path in Utah is for the legal system to determine. But his coach simply can't wait for that outcome before making his own ruling.
Twitter: @tribkurt