By Todd Golden
TERRE HAUTE — Indiana State coach Trent Miles confirmed Wednesday that quarterback Calvin Schmidtke was suspended by the team indefinitely for a Saturday incident involving law enforcement that ultimately resulted in Schmidtke receiving a ticket for minor consumption.
Miles said Schmidtke will get unspecified “help” during his suspension and also said, “I’m not going to turn my back on him.”
According to the police report, Schmidtke was at an off-campus party at 812 N. Eighth Street that was broken up by Indiana State and Terre Haute Police late Saturday. When officers detected alcohol on his breath, he fled. According to the report, Schmidtke resisted arrest when he was caught and a taser was used to prevent further resistance.
Schmidtke was taken to jail where he received a minor consumption ticket, a misdemeanor.
Miles did not condone Schmidtke’s action, but said that the nature of Schmidtke’s troubles resulted in a punishment that, “must fit the crime.”
“Here’s what I want to keep in perspective. Not to make light of the situation, because of what happened in the past, but it’s our duty to be a help when needed to a young man who needs help,” Miles said.
“I’m not going to turn my back on him. He showed poor judgment in the situation and used more poor judgment to compound a situation that is not condoned,” Miles continued. “But when you look at the grand scope of things that happen in college … I know of other programs, premier programs, places I’ve been to in the past, that had golden boy starting quarterbacks that have been in trouble for those types of things.
“Let’s not convict the guy for murder for something that’s not murder,” Miles added. “Anytime you do what he did, it’s poor judgment and it won’t be tolerated. But the punishment must fit the crime. He’s still with us and he’ll be back with us.”
Schmidtke, a Tacoma, Wash. native, came to ISU in June after being released from his letter-of-intent by Washington State due to several traffic violations, including a Nov. 2007 DUI charge.
Because of Schmidtke’s past transgressions, Miles was asked whether it affected the punishment he meted out.
“I said from the very beginning he’d be treated like everyone else and be given the same opportunities as everyone else. He’s not the first Indiana State player to get a minor consumption ticket, like a traffic ticket, written and he won’t be the last. That’s just the facts of dealing with young people. The suspension is a bit longer than it would have been otherwise because it’s my responsibility to get him the help he needs to get.”
Schimdtke was initially suspended for one game before Miles extended the suspension. Schmidtke did not participate in Wednesday’s practice, a condition of his suspension, according to Miles.
Only two quarterbacks practiced for the Sycamores on Wednesday. Matt Seliger will start and will be backed up by walk-on Travis Johnson. Chuck Dowdell, who injured his shoulder in last Saturday’s game at Southern Illinois, is questionable for this Saturday’s game at Western Illinois.
Seliger, a Terre Haute native, has made three starts for ISU, but in each case, he was in a platoon with either Schmidtke, Dowdell or both. Seliger should be see most, if not all, action against the Leathernecks.
“It doesn’t change a whole lot for me, other than I get more reps in practice,” said Seliger on his new status. “I get to see more of it first hand, but the preparation, as far as going through the playbook is about the same as far as knowing what you need to do.”
Meanwhile, Johnson — a Marshall, Ill. native and son of ISU linebackers and special teams coach Troy Johnson — is enjoying his time on the high end of the depth chart.
“It’s a small window of opportunity, but I’ve had a chance to sit back, watch [the quarterbacks], and get extra familiar with the playbook while they’re out there running it. I’m getting the same mental reps as they are when they’re running stuff, so I feel I’m more prepared to go in if I have to,” Johnson said.
