Two UAB players were stabbed on Saturday morning and a teammate is in police custody, stemming from an incident that occurred in the football operations building hours before the Bulls played South Florida at Birmingham, Ala.
The school did not divulge identities but acknowledged the suspect also is on the football team.
Also Saturday, UAB offensive lineman Daniel Mincey was booked into Jefferson County Jail on charges of aggravated assault and attempted murder.
UAB said the injuries to the two players are not considered life-threatening and that both are in stable condition.
UAB elected to go on with the football game at 2 p.m. local time, approximately four hours after the incident.
“We’re grateful to report that two players injured in an incident this morning at the Football Operations Building are in stable condition,” the UAB statement said. “Our thoughts are with them and their families as they recover. The suspect — another player — remains in custody and an investigation is taking place.
“The team elected to play today’s game. UAB’s top priority remains the safety and well-being of all of our students. Given patient privacy and the ongoing investigation, we have no further comment at this time.”
Mincey, 20, was booked into Jefferson County Jail at 12:40 p.m. local time. He was listed as 6-foot-3, 315 pounds during booking.
Mincey is a redshirt freshman in his first season at UAB. He has not appeared in a game this season and isn’t listed on the two-deep depth chart.
He spent last season at Kentucky and redshirted before transferring to UAB in May.
UAB lost 48-18 to South Florida (8-3) and dropped to 3-8 overall and 1-6 in the American Conference. The Blazers, whose offensive coordinator Alex Mortensen was named interim head coach on Oct. 12 to replace Trent Dilfer, conclude their season on Nov. 29 at Tulsa.
“I’m really proud of this team, the way they came together and competed today, even with heavy hearts,” Mortensen said after the game. “This allowed our seniors to compete in their last game at Protective and it’s a testament to our team’s dedication to each other and to UAB.”
Mortensen begin his post-game press conference by addressing the incident before talking about the game.
“As you’ve heard, we have one player who is in police custody and two players who are in stable condition after sustaining injuries,” Mortensen said. “More than anything, I’m grateful that those two players are in stable condition. And we will make sure that they have the support that they need.
“I hope you will join me in lifting them and their families in your thoughts and prayers, as our team is doing right now too. I also ask that you will please respect their privacy as they deal with what happened.”
Mortensen said that due to the investigation, he cannot provide more details about the incident.
“The team as a whole decided they wanted to play today, but we did have several players who understandably chose to sit out, and we certainly respect that decision,” the coach said. “Our priority remains the health and well-being of our student-athletes, and we want to make sure they have access to take advantage of the support and resources available to them.”
–Field Level Media
