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| | Wednesday, September 29 | |||||
| LANSING, Mich. -- Dimitrius Underwood, the first-round draft
pick who left the Minnesota Vikings after one day in training camp,
apparently slashed his neck with a knife, police said Monday.
No further information was released at the request of his family. "This is real rough for the family," Hall said. "They're going through a real rough time, like any family would at a time like this." Hall said physical evidence at the scene and witnesses' statements convinced police Underwood used the knife on himself. The officer would not describe the knife, other than to say it was a common household knife. He declined to say if Underwood had written a suicide note. Underwood, 22, cooperated with police when they found him about 12:45 p.m. Sunday and has spoken with police since, Hall said. He declined to say if Underwood gave them a reason for his actions, but said police are close to completing their investigation. "Our attention is turned toward safeguarding his good mental health," Hall said. Underwood was arrested by Lansing police about 7 p.m. Saturday for nonpayment of child support. A $500 bond was posted for him about three hours later, but Underwood refused to leave the jail in Mason for another hour, spending the time talking to another inmate, Hall said. Police had no trouble arresting Underwood or taking him to the county jail, Hall said. Underwood played at Michigan State for three seasons before missing his senior year with a sprained ankle. The Vikings made Underwood their second first-round draft pick, and 29th overall in April. He signed a five-year, $5.3 million contract Aug. 1 but walked out of training camp the next day. Underwood told coach Dennis Green he had no desire to play football. Michigan State football coach Nick Saban on Monday hinted that Underwood's ambivalence about playing football may not be new. "I think Dimitrius' behavior over a little bit of time here has been a little bit unusual," Saban said. "We tried to help the guy last year; I know the Dolphins have tried to help him now, and I've talked to him on several occasions. ... Maybe now someone can help him and he can do well." Underwood has explained his departure from Minnesota by saying he was torn between a desire to pursue the ministry and the need to support his children. The Vikings released him Aug. 11. Underwood sacrificed a $1.75 million signing bonus by leaving. He was claimed on waivers by Miami after 23 other teams passed on him and is now getting a base salary of $395,000 in the first season of a five-year contract with Miami. "Hopefully, he'll be fine and then find the kind of assistance, help that he needs to do a good job, and I'm not talking about football," Green said Monday. "Because when you're in the hospital in serious condition, then football is very secondary for the things that he needs as a young man of 22." Underwood dislocated his left shoulder during an exhibition game and was expected to begin working out again this week. The Dolphins were off this weekend. On Monday, Dolphins coach Jimmy Johnson said he had spoken with Sparrow Hospital nurses about Underwood's condition. "(I) have passed on the word that we are 100 percent supportive of him. Our No. 1 concern is his health and well-being, and the No. 1 thing we want to do is for him to get well," Johnson said, declining further comment. The team did not practice Monday, and players were unavailable for comment. "He's a good person and a good guy and he's going through some hard times right now," Saban said. | ALSO SEE Underwood's mother links son's behavior to 'cult'
Underwood ambivalent about football for a while
AUDIO/VIDEO   Jimmy Johnson supports Dimitrius Underwood.wav: 578 k RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6 | |||||
