Former Nature Coast star Tevin Drake is facing an indefinite suspension from the Western Michigan football team after being arrested and trying to flee from Brooksville police earlier this month.
Shortly after midnight on Aug. 1, Brooksville police received a call from a woman who said “Drake battered her,” according to a release from the department. When police interviewed Drake, he “became uncooperative and combative as he pushed an office out of the doorway,” then ran away, according to the department.
Police chased Drake on foot for 20 minutes before he came back to the original location. He continued to resist, according to the report, and had to be subdued with a Taser.
He was charged with domestic battery, battery on an officer and three different counts of resisting arrest. Drake was released on a bond of $37,000.
Drake left Nature Coast as Hernando County’s all-time leading rusher with almost 5,000 yards and 69 touchdowns. The three-star recruit signed with the Broncos in 2010 after an all-North Suncoast senior season.
In three seasons with Western Michigan, the 5-foot-11, 214-pound senior started nine games, rushed for 1,098 yards and scored nine touchdowns. He was expected to be one of Western Michigan’s top two backs this fall, but the program indefinitely suspended him last week.
"He made a very, very poor choice," coach P.J. Fleck told mlive.com. "I am so proud of his progress he had made up until that decision. We hadn’t had one issue with Tevin in seven months. He really bought into this program, but it shows one decision can truly turn around your entire future. I think it’s important for our football program to see that, even with an elite player like himself. It’s not like he was some guy that never played and it’s easy to get rid of him. We’re going to suspend him indefinitely.
"I talk to him almost daily and we have elite conversations and he understands everything and truly takes accountability for it. ...You can make your life what it is, but you’re going to make mistakes and there will be consequences for them. How long, I’m not sure. We're going to gather all of the facts and wait for the legal process to take its course."