Two University of North Carolina football players were cited by police after a traffic stop Tuesday night in Chapel Hill. They are now 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 pistol. Chapman was a passenger in a Cadillac sport utility vehicle driven by fellow freshman wide receiver CJ Sadler. Sadler was cited for speeding, and police alleged he was driving at least 60 mph in a 35 mph zone, according to a police report. According to the report, he was detained on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in Chapel Hill. The report states that police received a report of “a careless and reckless driver” driving the vehicle approximately an hour before the stop. According to the report, Sadler has been cited for speeding three times since early August. Additionally, 15.1 grams of marijuana were seized in the vehicle. That’s a little 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 does not indicate if anyone was cited for possession. It’s the latest setback 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 Wednesday night. “We are cooperating fully with the university and local officials, and will not be commenting further while we gather additional information.” Sadler has four receptions for 73 yards on the season. He had three catches for 66 yards in the Tar Heels’ win against East Tennessee State University. Chapman has not played in the Tar Heels’ first two games. Both are listed on the ACC’s initial availability report for Saturday’s game, meaning they are not 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 players receive driving safety education, and we will continue to work with all of 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 investigation has expanded as outside investigators, hired by the university, have asked people associated with the program about sexual relationships between staff members and about possible drug use by defensive coordinator Steve Belichick, who is on indefinite medical leave. The Tar Heels are 2-0 entering Saturday’s game against Clemson (1-1). It is the first ACC game for both teams. Clemson defeated UNC 38-10 in Chapel Hill last season.
