FORT WORTH -- A week that began with exhilaration at Texas Christian University after its upset victory on the basketball court turned to stunned dismay Wednesday with news that 15 students, including four football players, were arrested in a sweeping police drug operation.
"It hurts that our campus has this mark on it now; it's a big shock to me," said Andrew Nance, a 2011 TCU graduate who was visiting campus.The announcement came one day after TCU students stormed the court to celebrate the men's basketball team's win over the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. The Horned Frogs' first and long-awaited Big 12 football schedule was also released Tuesday.But instead of hoops and game days, campus chatter was about drugs and disappointment. Internet news reports about the arrests lit up computer screens in the library. Fans worried about the university's reputation.Jenny Oster, a TCU senior who is on the swim team, said she hates to see the university cast in such an unflattering light."I'm kind of sad because it reflects negatively on our entire campus," she said. "But the reality is, this kind of thing is a problem everywhere, not just TCU."Drugs were sold at a fraternity house, at students' homes, and in parking lots outside grocery, drug and convenience stores, according to police arrest affidavits. Some students noted that those are places they visit frequently."Everyone is like, 'Whoa! What's going on here?'" said Tylar Epps, 20, a junior music education major. "It's kind of eerie."Suspects' neighborsSharon Thomas and her husband live next to a home in the 3200 block of Waits Avenue where police say that drugs were sold.Thomas said she and her husband knew that the students living there belonged to a fraternity but never had any problems with them. In fact, the young men even had the couple over to watch football, she said."They were pretty tame for frat guys," said Thomas, who said she isn't associated with the university. "They seemed nice; one of them even got a new puppy recently. We were just really surprised when we heard the news this morning."A TCU banner hung over a window of the house where football players Tyler Horn and D.J. Yendrey live in the 3400 block of Brady Avenue.Neighbor Krissa Pyrch said the students seemed well-mannered and respectful. She said that when she sat on her porch reading at night, she noticed what seemed like a lot of traffic coming and going from the home but that that didn't seem unusual for college students.A couple of weeks ago, someone broke out the window in one of the students' trucks, she said."All this happening in a family-friendly neighborhood is concerning," she said.Rose Perez wore a TCU soccer T-shirt while shopping at the Kroger grocery store near campus. A "Go Frogs" sign hung at the doors. According to an affidavit, the parking lot was one place where drugs and money were exchanged.Perez called the arrests sad proof that drugs reach all parts of society and that college campuses are not immune."Drugs are everywhere," she said. "You're almost surprised it hasn't come up before."Alex Branch, 817-390-7689Twitter: @albranch1Have more to add? News tip? Tell us
