Breaking news: It's officially summer in Iowa City. Iowa halfback Jewel Hampton and defensive back Jordan Bernstine were arrested in downtown Iowa City last night on alcohol-related charges. Per Mas Casa, Hampton was cited for public intox and "present on premises" (a violation of the new 21-only ordinance; Hampton is reportedly the sixth person to be cited under the new law, which just took effect Tuesday) after being involved in a bar fight at Vito's, which is just about the least surprising thing ever. Bernstine was "not cooperative" with authorities during Hampton's arrest and picked up a public intox for his trouble. Both were held overnight at the Johnson County Jail, both made an initial appearance this morning, and the details of those hearings have not yet been released. Ferentz made a brief comment on the situation this morning, saying it would be "handled internally."
Hampton, coming off a redshirt season due to an ACL tear, was the odds-on favorite to start at halfback for Iowa this year. He played in spring and, though he avoided contact, looked near 100%. Bernstine was neck-and-neck with Micah Hyde for the vacant starting spot at cornerback, though recent comments by Norm Parker indicated Hyde had taken a small lead.
In the end, citations for public intox and being underage in a bar aren't any more serious than most other Iowa students will pick up over the course of their time in town, and both Hampton and Bernstine will likely face nothing more than time served and a fine. The "altercation" may be an additional factor in any football-related punishment, however. Expect a game or two suspension for each. Ironically, the player who might take the most heat for this is (unsurprisingly) Derrell Johnson-Koulianos, who took the opportunity to get on Facebook and say something stupid. Get with the program, bro.