Littleton suspended one game by Southland office
9/22/2011 4:48:00 PM | Football
Sam Houston State cornerback Mike Littleton has been suspended one game by the Southland Conference for a late-hit penalty he was assessed during Saturday's 31-10 victory over Central Arkansas.
Littleton will not be allowed to play this weekend when the Bearkats travel to take on New Mexico.
"The safety of the student athletes is always a priority and it is unfortunate that this play has impacted two student-athletes in a negative way," said SHSU director of athletics Bobby Williams. "We agreed with the call on the field that the hit by Mike was a personal foul and we were correctly assessed a 15-yard penalty for it. However, we appealed the decision of the notion that the hit was targeted and warranted a game suspension."
Williams and head coach Willie Fritz were notified on Monday that the hit by Littleton on Central Arkansas quarterback Nathan Dick was being reviewed by the conference office. A day later the Southland notified the department Littleton was going to be suspended and the department began the appeal process. The appeal was heard by the Southland Conference Executive Committee on Thursday morning.
"We appealed the decision of the one-game suspension, understanding that this is an extremely difficult decision for everyone involved in the process," Williams said. "We respect and appreciate the process that allowed us to make our case to the executive committee, which is the process of appeals set up through the Southland Conference."
Littleton will be available to return to the field on Oct. 1 when the Kats host UTSA. The junior has started the first two games of the season for the Bearkats and is second on the team in tackles with 14, including 1.5 for a loss. He is also tied for the team lead in breakups with three.
