TCU players arrested in drug bust

? Authorities arrested 17 students at Texas Christian University on Wednesday as part of a six-month drug sting, an especially embarrassing blow to the school because it included four members of the high-profile football team.

Arrest warrants painted a startling picture of the Horned Frogs, with a handful of players who allegedly arranged marijuana sales after class or around practice and who told police that most of the team had failed a surprise drug test just two weeks ago.

According to police, players sold undercover officers marijuana during the season and as recently as last week.

“There are days people want to be a head football coach, but today is not one of those days,” coach Gary Patterson said in a prepared statement. “As I heard the news this morning, I was first shocked, then hurt, and now I’m mad.”

The 17 people arrested were caught making “hand-to-hand” sales of marijuana, cocaine, ecstasy and prescription drugs to undercover officers, police said. They said the bust followed an investigation prompted by complaints from students, parents and others.

TCU has an enrollment of about 9,500 students, but the athlete arrests drew the most scrutiny. The bust came just one day after a thrilling overtime victory by the men’s basketball team over a ranked opponent, UNLV, and less than 24 hours after TCU released its football schedule for next season, its first in the Big 12 Conference.

Three prominent defensive players on the team were arrested: linebacker Tanner Brock, the leading tackler two seasons ago, defensive tackle D.J. Yendrey and cornerback Devin Johnson. The other player is offensive lineman Ty Horn.

While school Chancellor Victor Boschini said he didn’t think TCU had a “football problem,” the arrest affidavits raise the possibility that other players were involved.

In November, a Fort Worth police officer was informed that Horn was selling marijuana to “college students and football players at Texas Christian.” The officer allegedly bought marijuana that day, Nov. 3, two days before a road game at Wyoming, from both Horn and Yendrey.

Officers during the next several months allegedly set up drug deals with the players outside restaurants, a grocery store and other areas around campus. On Jan. 19, Brock allegedly sold an officer $200 worth of marijuana after Yendrey ran out.

“After a short conversation about the marijuana, Brock and I exchanged phone numbers, telling me to come to him from now on instead of (Yendrey),” according to the affidavits.

Horn and Johnson scoffed at the Feb. 1 team drug test ordered by Patterson, police said. Brock allegedly told an undercover officer that he failed the surprise test “for sure,” but that it wouldn’t be a problem because there would be others involved.