Ferris State’s Hunt-Thompson suspended following altercation at Grand Valley State
Published 5:18 pm Friday, December 9, 2022
- Cassopolis’ Tyrese Hunt-Thompson gets loose before the game Saturday. (Leader photo/AMELIO RODRIGUEZ)
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BIG RAPIDS — Tyrese Hunt-Thompson, the Ferris State football team’s leading receiver, has been suspended for the remainder of the Division II postseason following a postgame altercation at Grand Valley State in Allendale, the NCAA announced Friday.
Following Ferris State’s 24-21 victory over rival Grand Valley in the Division II Regional Final, Hunt-Thompson was seen on video swinging his helmet at a GVSU staffer during a scuffle.
From our broadcast on WXSP. The postgame scuffle between @FerrisFootball and @gvsufootball. The NCAA is reviewing multiple angles. pic.twitter.com/8pA9MmxcVV
— Jack Doles (@jackdoles) December 4, 2022
“The Football Committee was alarmed and disappointed with the events that occurred following the quarterfinal game with Ferris State and Grand Valley State last Saturday,” said Division II Football Committee Chair Monica Polizzi in a statement Friday. “Using a helmet as a weapon and striking another individual is unacceptable behavior and has no place in college football.”
A Cassopolis native, Hunt-Thompson leads the team in receiving yards with 714 on 39 catches and four touchdowns while also adding two rushing touchdowns. The redshirt-freshman played a pivotal role in the Bulldogs’ national championship run last year, tallying nine total touchdowns in 2021.
The announcement comes one day before the Bulldogs (12-1) host West Florida (12-1) at noon in the Division II National Semifinal Game. Hunt-Thompson will not be allowed to participate in the travel party or attend the game. In addition to Hunt-Thompson’s suspension, the NCAA has issued a reprimand to Ferris State.
“The NCAA has issued a reprimand for post-game conduct after Ferris State University’s Saturday, Dec. 3 playoff game at Grand Valley State University,” reads the university’s statement. “The University acknowledges that the post-game behavior of one of its student-athletes was inappropriate. While the University accepts its reprimand, it is currently processing an appeal of the NCAA’s disciplinary ruling.”
