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 The female student's accusation comes as the National Football
League and Florida State University, another college football
powerhouse, remain under scrutiny for the way they have handled
actions by their players against women.
"We’re cooperating with the investigation. I’m optimistic this is
not a criminal case,” said Harris' lawyer, Huntley Johnson, who
added that the freshman was also suspended from campus.
UF and the University Athletic Association, a direct support
organization with the authority to suspend Harris, were also
cooperating with the investigation, according to a statement from
the university press office.
“We have no tolerance for sexual assault on our campus,” UF
President Bernie Machen said.
 FSU is currently facing a federal investigation for its handling of
a sexual assault complaint against Heisman trophy- winning
quarterback Jameis Winston, who plays for the Seminoles.
Baltimore Ravens star Ray Rice was released by the team and
suspended indefinitely by the NFL last month after a video caught
him in the act of punching his then-fiancee at a New Jersey casino.
He had earlier been suspended for just two games.
The UF student reported that she was assaulted by Harris before dawn
on Sunday, the day after the freshman football player led the Gators
to a comeback victory against Tennessee, according to the university
police log.
University police called in the Gainesville city police department’s
forensic crime unit to help collect evidence.
Johnson would not discuss what Harris told him about the incident,
his relationship to the accuser or his current state of mind.
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“We’re hopeful he’ll be returning to the university soon,” Johnson
said.
Two more professional football players were arrested over the
weekend in Fort Lauderdale and Minneapolis on trespassing and other
charges, authorities and local media reported.
Miami Dolphins defensive end Derrick Shelby was suspended
indefinitely Monday following his arrest on the weekend for trespass
and resisting arrest without violence after police said he was
accused of causing a disturbance at a Fort Lauderdale nightclub.
Shelby's agent, David Canter, said in a statement Monday that
Shelby, a 25-year-old three-year NFL veteran out of the University
of Utah, has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
(Editing by David Adams and Eric Walsh)
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