Report: Arkansas Tight End Suspended For Trying To Shoplift Despite Having $450 Gift Card [Update]

Arkansas tight end Jeremy Sprinkle will miss his final college football game after he was suspended for his team’s matchup against Virginia Tech today in the Belk Bowl. The school announced the suspension prior to the game’s 5:30 p.m. kickoff. Head coach Bret Bielema released a statement, but did not specify why Sprinkle was being benched:

Jeremy’s suspension has been known by our staff and players for several days so we’ve had a chance to prepare our game plan accordingly. Throughout his career and this season as a graduate student-athlete, Jeremy has displayed numerous times the qualities we want to represent our program. “We have standards within our family that must be upheld on a daily basis and unfortunately he failed to do that in the last week. Jeremy’s suspension isn’t drug, alcohol or violence related but one that will cause him to miss his final game as a Razorback.

According to SEC Country, Sprinkle tried to shoplift at a Belk store during a shopping spree competition. The Razorbacks received $450 gift cards as their bowl gifts; earlier this week, players had 90 minutes to spend the money at a local Belk. Sprinkle is alleged to have taken “items worth more than the allotted cost available.” The report said that Charlotte PD wasn’t called to the scene, and the tight end doesn’t appear to have been charged with anything.

Did Sprinkle try to grab a handful of FitBits? A week’s worth of polos? Maybe some dress shoes? New cologne? The sheer problem of having to get around a $450 ceiling in Belk is impressive.

Update (8:27 p.m.):

According to the Charlotte PD, these are the items Sprinkle attempted to steal:

$55 black Ralph Lauren shirt

$45 Saddlebred tandoori spice marl collared shirt

$16 Saddlebred blue strip classic fit boxer

$45 Saddlebred grey collared shirt

$18 Nike black crew socks

$12.99 SB Tech black XL shirt

$38 Nautica tan wallet

$30 Saddlebred brown wallet

[ SEC Country]