South Alabama football player arrested

MOBILE, Alabama (WALA) - A starter for the University of South Alabama football team was arrested Thursday morning on 24 charges. Campus Police say 19-year-old Zach Brownell damaged 22 vehicles in the Delta parking lot on South's campus.

"I can't believe that somebody would go around just smashing up people's cars because they feel like it or they're drunk or something," said Delta resident Brittany McGowan.

Brownell is charged with public intoxication, disorderly conduct, and 22 counts of criminal mischief.

Campus police say Brownell was drinking when he smashed windows and mirrors on the vehicles.

D'Wayne Owens woke up to his driver's side mirror hanging from his truck.

"I really thought people weren't this crazy but you know, they are," Owens said.

One of the cars that was damaged belongs to one of Brownell's teammates, Chris Pugh.

"I came outside and my car and all the other cars had side mirrors knocked in and I had baseball dents all in the front of my car, just completely wrecked it," Pugh said.

Because of what happened this morning, Brownell's football career has taken a turn. Brownell has been suspended from the team indefinitely.

"I think all of our programs and all of our coaches and the entire department is very centered on basic principles of tremendous citizenship and graduation and competing to the best of our ability. All of our student athletes and everybody in our department is very sensitive to that and so we do examine things like this very deeply and take it very seriously," said Dr. Joel Erdmann, South Alabama's Athletic Director.

Brownell did make bond Thursday afternoon.

As for his student career, Keith Ayers from the university said Brownell will not be suspended. He said in incidences like this one, a student is subject to a nonacademic conduct review. If the crime committed is bad enough, the student is subject to dismissal from the university.