Texas A&âs Shemar Turner wonât be suspended over punch
Texas A&M defensive lineman Shemar Turner won’t face any additional discipline from the team or the SEC after he was ejected from last Saturday’s game vs. Ole Miss, Aggies coach Jimbo Fisher said Monday.
Turner was kicked out of the game in the third quarter of A&M’s 38-35 loss to the Rebels for a “flagrant personal foul” after he punched Ole Miss offensive lineman Micah Pettus in the groin. The incident occurred after Pettus lay on top of Turner at the end of a 4-yard running play, which led Turner to upper-cut Pettus in the “lower midsection” after rising to his knees.
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Pettus — a sophomore from Madison — was not seriously injured, and later joked via social media that he was wearing a protective cup and would ice himself down. Turner issued an apology via X/Twitter early Sunday.
“I want to apologize for embarrassing myself, my family, and my team,” Turner wrote. “My actions were unacceptable and stupid. I have to understand what teams are gonna try to do to get me out my game I let my emotions get the best of me. Won’t happen again, period.”
Turner had played well against Ole Miss prior to the punching incident, including when he blocked a field goal that was returned for a touchdown in the second quarter. After the game, Fisher called the junior from DeSoto, Texas, “a great player and a great young man.”
“He’ll learn from that,” Fisher said, via SI.com. “We’ll make sure we get him right because he’s got a great future in the game. It’s a shame.”
Fisher was asked Monday if there was any question as to Turner’s availability for Saturday’s game vs. Mississippi State and replied simply “no.” Asked if the SEC might issue a suspension of some sort, Fisher again replied in the negative, “no, none from the league.”
Texas A&M (5-4, 3-3 SEC) hosts Mississippi State (4-5, 1-5) at 6:30 p.m. Saturday in a game to be televised by ESPN2.