UNC football players cited after a traffic stop, one on gun charge. Now they’re out against Clemson

Two University of North Carolina football players were cited by police after a traffic stop Tuesday night in Chapel Hill. Now they’re listed as out for the Tar Heels’ ACC opener against Clemson.

Keeyun Chapman, a freshman wide receiver, was cited for carrying a concealed weapon, a misdemeanor, according to a Chapel Hill police report. The weapon was described as a handgun. Chapman was a passenger in a Cadillac sport-utility vehicle driven by fellow freshman wide receiver C.J. Sadler.

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Sadler was cited for speeding, with police alleging he was driving at least 60 mph in a 35-mph zone, according to a police report. He was stopped on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in Chapel Hill, according to the report. The report states that police received a report of “a careless and reckless driver” driving the vehicle about an hour before the stop. Sadler has been cited for speeding three times since the beginning of August, according to the report.

In addition, 15.1 grams of marijuana were seized from the vehicle. That is slightly more than half an ounce. Possession of half an ounce or less is a misdemeanor with a maximum fine of $200 in North Carolina. The report doesn’t indicate if anyone was cited for possession.

It’s the latest hiccup for a program that is currently the subject of an internal investigation.

“We are aware of the incident involving UNC football student-athletes Tuesday night in Chapel Hill,” a UNC football spokesperson said late Wednesday. “We are cooperating fully with the university and local officials, and will have no further comment while gathering additional information.”

Sadler has four catches for 73 yards on the season. He had three receptions for 66 yards in the Tar Heels’ victory against East Tennessee State University. Chapman hasn’t played in the Tar Heels’ first two games. Both are listed as out on the ACC’s initial availability report for Saturday’s game, meaning they aren’t expected to play.

WRAL reported in November that 20% of UNC’s 101-player roster had been cited for speeding, including 10 reckless driving charges. In May, WRAL reported on a series of parking complaints and speeding tickets among UNC football players.

UNC spokespeople told WRAL at the time: “We work with our athletic programs to ensure that players are educated about driving safety, and we will continue to work with all our teams on safe driving education."

Head coach Bill Belichick’s football program is under an internal investigation, which began last month when former general manager Michael Lombardi was placed on paid administrative leave. He later resigned. WRAl reported that the scope of the probe has expanded as outside investigators, hired by the university, have asked people associated with the program about sexual relationships between staff members and about potential drug use by defensive coordinator Steve Belichick, who is on indefinite medical leave.

The Tar Heels are 2-0 entering Saturday’s game with Clemson (1-1). It is the first ACC game for both teams. Clemson defeated UNC 38-10 in Chapel Hill last season.

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