Boise State cornerback off team after arrest. A lineman pleaded guilty in gambling probe
The Boise State football team was on the field Monday morning for the first spring practice of the year, with a couple of notable exceptions.
Cornerback Jaylen Clark is no longer on the team, a spokesperson for the program confirmed Monday. Clark, 21, was arrested in January and faces two felony charges — attempted strangulation and aggravated assault — as well as a pair of misdemeanors, suspicion of battery and false imprisonment.
The charges stemmed from a Boise Police Department investigation that was initiated Dec. 17, 2023, into an alleged domestic battery incident.
Police said Clark was accused of becoming physically violent with a woman after a verbal altercation on July 28, 2023. The woman tried to leave the residence several times but was stopped by Clark, who eventually grabbed a knife and chased her, according to police. Clark eventually left the residence, which allowed the woman to leave, authorities said.
Clark was released on a $25,000 bond on Jan. 11, according to court records. He has a plea hearing scheduled for March 29 at 2:30 p.m. at the Ada County Courthouse.
Clark started 13 games for the Broncos last season, finishing with 54 tackles and an interception.
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Defensive tackle involved in gambling investigation at prior school
Defensive tackle Howard Brown was also absent from Monday’s practice. He remains on the Boise State roster, but he’s not with the team as he deals with “eligibility issues,” according to a spokesperson for the program.
Brown was ruled ineligible to play last fall because of an NCAA investigation that stemmed from his conduct while he was a member of the Iowa State football team. Boise State appealed the decision, but Brown never saw the field.
The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation announced on Feb. 1 that Brown was one of eight players charged last August as part of a sports betting investigation involving athletes from Iowa and Iowa State. They all faced charges of tampering with records after placing bets on sports competitions under accounts registered to other people, authorities said. Seven of them, including Brown, have pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of underage gambling and have been fined $645, according to a story from The Gazette in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Court documents show Brown pleaded guilty in Story County, Iowa, on Sept. 18, 2023.
Authorities said Brown placed 67 mobile bets, totaling $815, including a wager on a football game that his own team lost to Texas Tech in 2022. Brown placed a money-line bet on the Red Raiders to beat the Cyclones, according to The Gazette, and they lost 14-10.
According to NCAA rules, players who wager on their own games or on other sports at their own schools could face a lifetime ban from college athletics. No final ruling has been made in the Brown appeal, according to a Boise State spokesperson.
Howard, a high school quarterback, who transformed into a 6-foot-2, 300-pound defensive lineman in college. He transferred to Boise State last year with three seasons of eligibility remaining.
The native of Kansas City played in six games for Iowa State in 2022, contributing mostly on special teams, and finished the year with two tackles.
