Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Former Robinson All-Met Lucas Caparelli, dismissed from Wake Forest University this past spring for writing a threatening message on his Facebook page, has signed with division I-AA Texas Southern University and will be eligible to play this season, Robinson Coach Mark Bendorf said.

Caparelli, a running back who played in two games as a redshirt freshman last year at Wake before dislocating his shoulder, will have three years of eligibility at Texas Southern, a historically black college that plays in the Southwestern Athletic Conference. Hofstra also offered Caparelli a scholarship, Bendorf said.

Caparelli was suspended from Wake Forest for writing on his Facebook page that he planned to blow up campus, a posting that he later called a "dumb mistake."

Caparelli and Texas Southern Coach Johnnie Cole did not return phone calls.

"Hopefully, he'll make the best of this opportunity," Bendorf said. "It doesn't surprise me that he's all the way down in Texas. I think he was just looking for a new start."

-- Preston Williams