Recruiting 101: Don't get the recruit shot while on official visit

ALBUQUERQUE -- A shooting last weekend outside a local strip club led to the suspension today of three University of New Mexico football players.

A Lobo recruit from California who the players took to the club, was shot and wounded, following a violent confrontation with some other customers at the Spearmint Rhino club on University Boulevard NE near the Big I.

Police have surveillance video showing the suspected gunman as he walked into the club.

Investigators said they don't know what the argument was about, but it escalated very quickly.

The security video shows a stocky man police describe as 5-foot-5 and balding with a brown pony tail.

He was wearing a black football jersey with number 34 on it.

Investigators said he came in with another Hispanic man and two women.

Police said he first he got into an argument with the players inside the club and then opened fire on them with a small caliber handgun in the club's parking lot.

Then he chased them down the road

“We did have one gentleman who was shot multiple times while in the vehicle through the door of the vehicle in the leg,” Albuquerque Police Chief Ray Schultz said. “One of the other victims sustained a glass injury from broken glass that went into his eyes.”

The unnamed football recruit was treated for gunshot wounds to the leg and has returned to California.

The player hit in the eyes with glass is reserve tight end Clayton Cardenas.

He was treated and released from UNM Hospital.

Lobo football coach Rocky Long today suspended Cardenas, reserve linebacker Justin Clayton and starting defensive end Michael Tuohy for violating team rules and taking the recruit to a strip club.

Albuquerque police are asking anyone with information on the gunman to call Crime Stoppers at 843-STOP (843-7867).

 

Paging spup. Spup, please pick up the yellow courtesy phone.

 

Well played.

 

True story about my alma mater:

A basketball recruit went out to pick up food for a visit with the university's coaching staff.
On the way home, he was in a car accident and lost a finger on his shooting hand.

The kid's fine now. He only missed a few games of his HS season and his team went on to win the state title.
He's at a school in the Atlantic Sun Conference now and is averaging around 10 points per game.

 

Rivals wiped UNM off his list yet?

 

Sounds to me like an episode of When Keeping It Real Goes Wrong.

 

Dead. To. Me.

 

;D
I'm sorry, but I couldn't resist.

 

I'll bet the shooter was the parent of another Lobo recruit who plays the same position as the guy who got shot.

 

is it an ncaa violation to identify a recruit who gets shot?

 

Good question.

The media can if it's on a police report, which it would be. I think the school/coaches can give the name of a recruit who's on an official visit but can't talk about their status before they declare intent. I think they'd be OK releasing his name.

 

I was actually thinking receiver. I mean, his son has to catch 60 passes as a freshman.