Before the news was announced that senior Shadrach Thornton would no longer be on the NC State football team, David Glenn discussed the running back’s most recent arrest on his daily radio show.
DG broke down Thornton’s past and current legal troubles, most of which he defined as minor offenses, none of which singularly–or even paired–might warrant dismissal from the team. An assault on a female charge was more troublesome, and DG talked about the circumstances involving that case specifically.
Ultimately, Dave Doeren and NC State had a choice to make, and Thornton was only one part of the equation. As Glenn noted, even this last event is not something that defines a person’s character the way a more serious legal charge might. But Doeren had to weigh the message being sent to other current and future Wolfpack players about how many chances a player is afforded. It seems he did. Thornton was removed from the team, but will remain a student at NC State.
“It’s an unfortunate set of circumstances, but we’ve made the decision to dismiss Shadrach from our program,” said Doeren through a release from NC State. “We will continue to support him academically and help him earn his degree.”