According to WZTV, the Fox affiliate here in Nashville, Vanderbilt safety Andre Simmons was involved in the armed robbery of a fellow Vanderbilt student yesterday. According to the WZTV article: "A Vanderbilt student was held up in his dorm room yesterday and robbed of about $5,000. The Davidson County affidavit states that two men armed with a handgun came to the room at Lupton Hall and knocked on the door. When the door was opened, the two men said they wanted the money from the safe. A fight ensued and the victim was struck in the head with the gun. The suspect with the money ran, while the other suspect, Andre Leigh Simmons, 19, stayed behind to keep the victim in the room."
Andre Leigh Simmons is a sophomore safety for Vanderbilt. While he is not identified as a member of the football team in the linked article, OKTC reached Vice-Chancellor David Williams for comment early this morning after a tip that Simmons was a member of the football team.
Vice-Chancellor David Williams acknowledged that Simmons was a member of the football team and told OKTC:
"We're not sure what happened, but the alleged victim has filed charges against (Andre). The alleged activities are unacceptable to us and if Andre was, in fact, involved obviously we have a lot of concern with that."
Williams continued, "Andre is suspended from our program until the investigation is completed."
Simmons remains enrolled as a Vanderbilt student. His role on the team has been very limited -- he has played on special teams in just one game -- and is not likely to impact the on-field result, but the arrest comes at a bad time for the Commodore football team. Vanderbilt, 5-5 and seeking a win to become bowl eligible, plays Saturday at Tennessee.
Lots of questions are raised when a student has $5,000 in a safe. Including, why in the world does a college student have $5,000 in cash and a safe in his dorm room? Even at Vanderbilt that's a lot of coin. Especially when daddy's credit card is easier to carry around. So many more details on this story are likely still to come.
