OSU's Mewhort, Stoneburner suspended indefinitely

6/3/2012

Jake Stoneburner.

DELAWARE COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT

COLUMBUS — Jack Mewhort and Jake Stoneburner have been suspended indefinitely from the Ohio State football team after their arrests Saturday on misdemeanor charges of obstructing official business, the players' lawyer told The Blade.

Mewhort, a junior offensive lineman and a St. John's Jesuit graduate, and Stoneburner, a senior tight end, learned Sunday they will be barred from the OSU football facilities until their case is settled, Columbus attorney Mark Collins said. Their arraignment is June 11 at Delaware Municipal Court, but Collins hopes the charges are resolved before then.

Police in Shawnee Hills, Ohio, a Columbus suburb, spotted the two players and a third man not connected to the football team early Saturday urinating outside a restaurant near Stoneburner's house, located just off the course at Muirfield Village Golf Club.

Collins said the men dashed away when they saw a spotlight, unknowing it belonged to police. He said Mewhort and Stoneburner stopped about 40 yards away from the restaurant and did not attempt to hide.

An incident report was not available Sunday. A request for comment from Ohio State was not returned.

"Hopefully we can sit down with the Shawnee Hills police department and the prosecutors and come up with a resolution that everyone can be satisfied with," Collins said.

First-year coach Urban Meyer has repeatedly praised Mewhort and Stoneburner as two of the team's most respected leaders this spring.

Mewhort started at guard last season but has shifted adeptly to left tackle, where he is expected to anchor the offensive line. Stoneburner tied for the team lead in catches last season