Penn St. QB hospitalized
The alleged fight occurred in the team locker room inside the Lasch football building.
The Patriot-News spoke with Paul McGloin, Matt's father, by phone early Saturday evening. He said he was told by doctors that his son was treated for a seizure at Mount Nittany Medical Center and also likely suffered a concussion.
McGloin was released from Mount Nittany Medical Center later in the afternoon and was back at his apartment Saturday night, surrounded by a few teammates, his father and mother, Cathy McGloin.
A source told The Patriot-News that a scuffle broke out between Drake and McGloin in the locker room and Paul McGloin said he believed his son may have suffered his injuries when he hit the floor. The McGloins left their home in Scranton Saturday to visit with their son, arriving in State College around 4 p.m.
PSU athletics released a statement early Saturday evening, confirming the fight and an ongoing investigation by university police.
"Campus police and Penn State's Office of Judicial Affairs will investigate the incident and report results as they would for another other student in an incident on campus,'' read part of the statement.
Paul McGloin said he was alerted to his son's condition by PSU team doctor Wayne Sebastianelli. Paul McGloin also said that results of a CT scan and an MRI performed on Matt "came back negative". "That's good news, when I heard that,'' Paul McGloin added. "It's a big relief.''
Cathy McGloin, reached by The Patriot-News by phone later Saturday night, said her son was feeling better and had just eaten. She also told The Patriot-News her son was treated for a seizure.
Cathy McGloin planned to spend Saturday night in State College with Matt and the family was waiting on more medical updates from doctors.
"Doctor Sebastianelli plans to check on Matt tomorrow and then they're planning to give him some concussion tests,'' Cathy McGloin said.
The Patriot-News contacted Drake's mother, Chante Smith-Roberson, by phone on Saturday night and Smith-Roberson downplayed the alleged incident. She said she spoke with Drake earlier in the day.
"I don't have a lot to say but everything's fine,'' Smith-Roberson said. "This is no big deal. He's doing fine and I think everything's fine. People don't need to make this a big deal, given all that is going on up there.''
Neither PSU head coach Tom Bradley nor acting Athletic Director David Joyner returned a Patriot-News phone call seeking comment.
An emergency team meeting was called at 4:30 Saturday. It did not last long and players and coaches offered little comment on the matter, according to published reports.
The Penn State football website FightonState.com reported that Drake did attend the meeting. McGloin was unable to attend the meeting.
It is unclear whether Bradley or Joyner will address the matter Monday morning in State College during Penn State's scheduled TicketCity Bowl news conference. The Lions (9-3) face Houston (12-1) on Jan. 2 in the Cotton Bowl in Dallas.
The alleged fight is just the latest chapter in what has been a troubling six weeks for the university and the football program.
The Sandusky child sex abuse investigation broke on Nov. 4 and Athletic Director Tim Curley was charged with perjury for his role in the investigation a day later. Sandusky is a former PSU defensive coordinator.
The university fired iconic head coach Joe Paterno on Nov. 9 in the wake of the scandal, replacing him with Bradley, a longtime Paterno assistant coach.
Joyner, who heads a six-person search committee formed Nov. 28, is in the midst of a detailed, drawn-out search to find Paterno's permanent replacement.
But after Saturday's locker room incident that left Matt McGloin in need of hospitalization, Joyner may have to put the coaching search on hold.
Another Penn State search, one that involves the search for truth with regard to what took place between McGloin and Drake, is under way.
