Junction

By Adam D. Young
AVALANCHE-JOURNAL

A Depot Entertainment District bar owner said two Texas Tech football players arrested early Friday on second-degree felony charges of credit card abuse used a card without their name on it to buy about $100 in drinks and tried to use their status as Red Raiders to avoid arrest.

Texas Tech sophomores Jace Amaro and Kenny Williams were arrested about 2:20 a.m. Friday at the Firehouse Grill and Bar, 1719 Buddy Holly Ave., after employees of the bar became suspicious when the men were accused of offering a “big tip” to a bartender for using the credit card that didn’t match the names on their identification cards, according to the Lubbock County Sheriff’s Office and Chris Bourne, owner of the bar.

Amaro and Williams, both 19, were booked into the Lubbock County Criminal Detention Center just before 6:45 p.m. Friday. A second-degree felony is punishable by two to 20 years in prison and a fine up to $10,000.

Bourne said the pair successfully paid for several rounds of drinks on the card during several transactions before employees became suspicious as the 2 a.m. bar-closing time approached.

He said Amaro and Williams were wearing Tech Under Armour football attire and, as bar employees called police, the players repeatedly reminded bar staff they were Tech football players.

“They were like, ‘We play football, we play football, we play football,’ ” Bourne said, repeating what he heard from his employees.

Bourne said he believes Amaro and Williams shared the drinks with friends. He said several people in their group were dressed in Tech Under Armour gear.

Amaro, a sophomore tight end, and Williams, a sophomore running back, were heavily recruited players on the Tech football team. Amaro also is charged with a misdemeanor count of misrepresentation of age.

Blayne Beal, Tech’s associate athletics director, confirmed Amaro and Williams were arrested by Lubbock police, but would not comment on the matter other than through a written statement he emailed to The Avalanche-Journal.

“Texas Tech will allow the Lubbock Police Department to conduct its investigation into the matter involving two football student-athletes,” he said in the statement. “Once that investigation has been completed and more facts are known, the university and head coach Tommy Tuberville will take appropriate disciplinary action if necessary.”

Bail was not set for Amaro and Williams by late Friday as they had not yet seen a judge, according to the Lubbock County Criminal Detention Center.

A Lubbock police spokesman did not return a call for comment about the arrests by late Friday. An officer with the Lubbock police sergeant’s desk said he did not know about the arrests.

Amaro and Williams were two of Tech’s top signees in the 2011 class and were members of The Avalanche-Journal Fabulous 44 list of the state’s top recruits. Amaro debuted last season with seven receptions for 57 yards and two touchdowns, and Williams carried 43 times for 135 yards and two touchdowns.

Both players have worked with the first team during spring football practice. Williams has been getting a lot of carries with the Red Raiders’ top two returning rushers, Eric Stephens and DeAndre Washington, sidelined by off-season knee surgeries.

The Red Raiders had the 10th of their allotted 15 spring practices Wednesday and then adjourned for spring break.