A.J. Derby arrested for criminal mischief, public intoxication
A.J. Derby, the Iowa Hawkeyes’ No. 2 quarterback was arrested for fourth-degree criminal mischief and public intoxication at an Iowa City bar late Saturday night.
According to criminal complaints filed in Johnson County District Court, Johnson County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a call from the Wildwood Smokehouse and Saloon at 4919 Walleye Drive on the far eastern edge of Iowa City. Deputies were told that an “uninvited intoxicated male” had punched out a window of a bus as he was exiting it.
After a deputy arrived on the scene, he approached the 6-5, 220-pound Derby, whom witnesses had pointed out as the man responsible for punching out the window. The criminal complaint states that Derby, who turned 20 in September, admitted to punching out the window and said that he would pay for it.
The criminal complaint states that Derby had red, watery eyes and slurred speech, and that he smelled of ingested alcohol. Derby submitted to a breath test that showed he had a blood-alcohol concentration of .120. Derby was taken to the Johnson County Jail about 11:35 p.m. was released about an hour later.
Fourth-degree criminal mischief is a serious misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in prison and a fine of between $250 and $1,500.
No statement has been issued by Hawkeye coach Kirk Ferentz at this point, leaving it unclear as to what team penalties Derby might face.
“The athletic department will follow standard policies and procedures in dealing with this, like we do with all incidents like this,” said Steve Roe of UI Sports Information.
Derby has appeared in two games for the Hawkeyes this season, in mop-up relief of starter James Vandenberg. Derby is a graduate of Iowa City High School, and is the son of former Hawkeye John Derby and the brother of Hawkeye reserve tight end Zach Derby. Zach Derby was charged with public intoxication in April 2009.
Category: Iowa Hawkeyes Football




Nice going, A.J. Way to represent the Hawks, you undisciplined buffoon. Well, it shows you have a good right arm. The Hawk haters will be all over this, saying the kid’s a thug, when he’s just an idiot. Is he smart enought to play QB for Iowa? I’m not sure after this. Anybody remember another City High kid, Gary Snook?
Come on, A.J. Grow up. We don’t need this crap. You’re getting your way paid through school. Act like a man. Maybe you and Zach should drink at home.
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Another star is born!
What is it with athletes? Are they really all this excruciatingly stupid? All you have to do is avoid the police — something most people manage to do their entire lives — and yet the more high-profile the doofus wearing shoulder pads is the MORE likely he is to get himself arrested.
Hello? THIS IS AN IQ TEST AND YOU ARE FAILING.
I’ll bet the Derby house if fun today! And who thought Zack would look like the ‘smart one’?
(This is a tease, right? I mean, after all the running backs and wideouts who got themselves kicked off the team, no Iowa City boy could really be this dumb, right? Right? I mean, you would have to be dumber that dumb to walk into a situation like this voluntarily after everything the Iowa program has been through in the past year — not to mention how hard you make it for the coach to keep you because he’s tired of morons like you making him look like a moron.)
No more bye weeks! No more bye weeks! No more bye weeks! No more bye weeks! No more bye weeks!
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He should be suspended or kicked off the team.
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No, he should be expelled from school first and foremost. He then should be disallowed from having a paying job for a period of 5 years, after which he may begin his job search starting and Kwik and Go. (Throughout this period of his life he will not be allowed to procreate either!) After working the night shift at minimum wage for 3 more years, he will be allowed to move up to a position on the fryer at McDonalds, where he’ll be working side-by-side with Mysteryman, AzHawk, other lifelong “perfect” citizens.
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So, how many college students would be kicked out of school for THIS EXACT SAME OFFENSE?!
Moron .. like you’ve never made a mistake in your life. Get off your damn high horse.
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Try II:
The only way my comment could have been more sarcastic is if I said he should be neutered and guillotined. Maybe next time I’ll type more s l o w l y for ya!
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A.J., quarterbacks are supposed to be leaders of the team. I hope KF suspends you for the rest of the season. You don’t deseerve to be the number 2 team leader. Who do you think you are?
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Since neither the Omaha or Lincoln papers have message boards for stories, I just wanted to say how tickled I am that Wisconsin totally dismantled Nebraska last night. I read all sorts of message board posts in here over the year from arrogant cornheads about how Nebraska would dominate the Big Ten. I hate Ohio State but I’ll be rooting for OSU next week. Somebody needs to tell the Corndog fans that you can’t just run in the Big Ten; you better have a passing game and you better be ready for big, tough, fast defensive linemen, not those high school defenses in the Big 12.
Welcome to the conference, suckers.
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Can he play basketball? Any scholarships open at ISU? Fred?
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interesting.. ISU doesn’t have a scholarship available.. but if he waits til he is 26 years old I am sure IOWA will. He will be out of jail by than.
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Ran across this arrest while reading USA Today on-line. LOVE to see the Iowa Hawkeyes when they make the national news…….but not in this way.
Is this generation of players dumber than the ones I remember back in the 80′s when I attended? I don’t doubt the drinking activities were different, because I know (at least for the players that I personally knew)it wasn’t.
But those players appeared to be able to handle their alcohol better, and were more discreet in their marijuana use (if even used at all).
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I think its covered more by the media; back in the ’80′s, they swept that info under the rug for the most part.
And, really, a kid gets MIP and USA Today picks it up?!
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Another sad day. One more in a long line to embarrass his family, team and school. A lot of this in the news the past couple of weeks. Over 600 U of I students with alcohol citations in the first 6 months of this year. ISU with almost 500 in the same period. Iowa City has a zero tolerence policy and stepped up patrols so you would think the kids would know better. This kid just invited the arrest. U of Wisconsin is now requiring students with alcohol citations to take a drug abuse program and are planning on 800 to 1000 students taking this yearly. A lot of kids do make mistakes in growing up. You don’t write them off, but get them some help so they don’t repeat the mistakes.
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This will get him suspended and probably will be used to put him into a LB position next season, since we are thin there anyway.
Weinke will play if JVB gets hurt. The season was going to be a disaster if JVB went down anyway. Rudock will be the next guy either way.
I’ve always wondered what goes through the heads of these young men, especially during the season. I could see this happening in the offseason I guess but why are they out getting wasted during the season. I know it’s a bye week but C’MON.
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While we’re on the subject, does Iowa have enough personal-conduct morons in its history to field a full team on both sides of the ball? Special teams? Who would be the starting QB?
These are the kinds of questions that need answering coming off a bye week. Somebody ask Bob Brooks and Ed Podolak what they think.
And how would our 1st Team morons hold up against schools like USC (psycho killer at halfback) or Miami or SMU? Are we also-rans even at miscreancy?
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Here is the story from the Sept. 15 DM Register:
Arrests for driving under the influence at Iowa State University and liquor law violations at University of Iowa drove increases in arrests at each school during the first half of the year, crime data released by the state Board of Regents show.
U of I police arrested 601 people between Jan. 1 and June 30, a 14 percent increase over the same time period in 2010.
A spike in arrests for liquor law violations contributed to most of the increase.
U of I officers began regularly patrolling downtown Iowa City and implemented a zero-tolerance policy on public intoxication and open containers.
ISU police arrested 493 people, a 20 percent increase from last year, because of more arrests for driving under the influence, trespassing and thefts, the data show.
Total offenses at ISU increased by 5 percent. They decreased slightly at U of I.
University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls reported a 5 percent decrease in arrests and a slight increase in total offenses.
U of I, ISU and UNI students accounted for 50 percent of total charges, and half of all alcohol-related charges.
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Ferentz is to blame. Haliburton, Cheney, Bush and Rumsfeld, too!
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First and foremost these are allegations of an extremely minor incident in nature. If you are under the legal age of consumption and have a sip of beer and… Barney Fife from the Iowa City police wants to charge you with public intoxication he can. The difference being that if it were you, “Mystery Man”,You would probably walk with a warning because you wouldn’t garnish any of the attention or headlines an athlete would. The circumstances for punching out the window remain unknown to everyone other then the accused. It may very well have been an accident or a result of horseplay. The owner of the bus may have locked himself out and asked the player if he could assist him in gaining entry. The only fact here is that all too often the general public makes a rush to judgement before any investigation is conducted or any facts have been gathered. I do agree entirely with your assessment that this happens disproportionately with athletes in Iowa City. In Iowa City, where there is no violent or serious crime, the Police Dept. has all the time in the world to profile the athletes in the downtown area. Doesn’t it strike you as a little odd that last year an “anonymous” call of underage drinking in a downtown bar subsequently resulted in two players being arrested. I didn’t read about anyone else from the general public being arrested in the bar. You have to live under a rock with the caveman from GEICO if you believe that athletes in Iowa City don’t stand out. Because of their stature and profile they have been targeted by the police dept. for years. I would also like to remind anyone who is going to post remarks regarding the intellect of this young man that before they do, do a little research first before tossing your verbal grenades. Jesus Christ once said “Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.” Funny how even today that message has merit.
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That’s right blame the Police. Blame the callers that don’t want to be belittled by coolaid drinking Fans.. OH and lets NOT blame the character of the player that is there who is in position of being caught. Serious crime starts with false courage, established after a few drinks. If the Players want to be “average” college students than don’t accept a 30K+ free ride annually and the “rules” that follow. Let them NOT be a football player and actually have to do the things that a normal college student has to do. Like study with out the help of study counseling Let them miss out on trips to bowl games, in the dead of winter in Florida. Mr. Derby/college joe would go to jail immediately.. and serve the time( up to a year) Player Derby, only faces the potential of Coach KF’s discipline. I think its not fair, but who am I .. I had to pay for my college degree. OH.. and Jesus didn’t have to throw a touchdown pass at Ohio State.
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Guess it was less painful to come on here and spew your “life expertise” than face reality on your own game stories……and yes, I’m VERY aware that you beat us in September…..
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dude..seriously.. westsidebilly.”cylence” means quite the cy… but.. if you can’t handle the truth…take back your walmart Iowa t-shirt, and explain to them your not worthy.
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Still too painful to go home to your own boards, huh? Typical….
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lol westsidebilly!.. your response is typical as well. no originality and least of all you have nothing to argue about.
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In your own words… “You have to live under a rock with the caveman from GEICO if you believe that athletes in Iowa City don’t stand out. Because of their stature and profile they have been targeted by the police dept. for years.” Giving you the benefit of the doubt, and assuming that you are 100% correct in your assessment, you could provide no better evidence to support the complete lack of judgment and common sense being demonstrated by a disproportionate number of Hawkeye athletes. Seriously, if you already think the cops are out to get you, how many functioning brain cells does it take for you to simply avoid behavior that might get you arrested?
Anyone able to explain how he got released 1 hour after being arrested on public intox? I thought the whole purpose of the overnight stay in the drunk tank was to let him sober up. There is no way he was not still drunk when they released him.
Don’t get me wrong, these players are kids, and kids make mistakes. What this tells me is that the coaching staff is either unable to keep the players under control, or is simply not interested in doing so as long as the mighty Ws keep rolling in.
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Listen here Mr. Derby. I feel bad for your son too, but attempting to drag Jeebus into the discussion is really out of bounds.
It’s mollycoddling parents like you who create these monster kids in the first place.
Enjoy.
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[...] late Saturday night outside of an Iowa City drinking establishment. Derby was charged with fourth-degree criminal mischief and public intoxication following the incident. According to criminal complaints filed in Johnson [...]
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Well, at least he took the bus instead of driving.
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[...] miss at least two games serving a suspension for his weekend DUI arrest. Backup Iowa quarterback A.J. Derby, subject of the weekend’s most entertaining arrest report, will serve a two-game suspension [...]
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Let’s all just be thankful that he wasn’t caught sitting quietly in his dorm room smoking a joint and listening to Pink Floyd albums. Such an offense would be of considerably greater public outrage than a debauched drunken public encounter. Since he ‘only’ got drunk and violent, he’ll sit out a couple games and then all will be forgotten (assuming he doesn’t suck as QB).
Enjoy.
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Same old story every time this happens: Cyclone fans want to tell us how lacking in moral character we are. The haters, both home and away, start advocating that the kid lose his voting rights, be waterboarded, suspended, thrown in the river, eviscerated, etc., etc. The apologists start with “If this were any other student”, claim police harrassment and voodoo spells are to blame and start with the stories about “when I was a student”. Then it gets even worse. They start blaming society, the courts, the university and Yertle the Turtle for some teenaged kid’s crummy judgment. It is as predictable as it is tedious.
Ferentz has suspended him from the team for two games. That sounds about right, given the fact tht it is really a misdemeanor charge, and in light of the rampant violations at other schools that have been addressed with no more serious punishment.
My concern is that two members of the same family have now been involved in public drunkeness incidents. In the military, we had a two-day required alcohol awareness and intervention course where we sent the kids who did this stuff, before they could do WORSE stuff. They got up close and personal with consequences, both physical and personal, and the recidivism rate was pretty low. I suggest that we address the problem- alcohol, in this case- and save the moralizing for church.
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ICitySaint… if you happened to read my response I think you would find it works for all colleges. Its not my fault or any other cyclone fans fault that idiots get caught doing stupid things. I find the same thing happens when Iowa fan comes on cyclone blogs. This isn’t the first time. And as you said, two family members now have been involved. We had a kid student/player slapped a kid took his phone,$3.00 and spent a 1 yr and a half in Jail. Frenetz has kicked OFF kids from his team for doing FAR less, like having a few drinks and tinkleing behind a tree. I think its time for a harder stance is all one that is consistant. If not just know that it will continue.
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I recall that when Zack and A.J. Derby transferred from West High to City High, Mrs. Derby stated in the Press Citizen that the family was just doing their part to help balance the enrollment disparity between the two schools. I wonder what spin the family will put on Alexander John’s arrest. Perhaps with a fine of between $250 and $1500 looming, the family is simply doing its best to generate local revenue during these difficult fiscal times.
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[...] mentioned Derby just briefly yesterday. Derby was arrested on Saturday for criminal mischief (i.e. punching out a bus window) and public intoxication. That earned him a [...]
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The No.2 QB ?! And a Sioux City HS recruit was in trouble earlier this year out there ? Are the coaches missing something during recruiting ?
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[...] Derby served a two-game suspension after being arrested in October 2011 for fourth-degree criminal mischief and public intoxication in Iowa C… [...]
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[...] permalink Originally Posted by EYEoftheSTORM Any chance with us? Id like to stick it to the Hawks with this one, and hey, we are needing a QB…. No thanks A.J. Derby arrested for criminal mischief, public intoxication | Hawk Central [...]
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[...] us? Id like to stick it to the Hawks with this one, and hey, we are needing a QB…. No thanks. A.J. Derby arrested for criminal mischief, public intoxication | Hawk Central Yes, we have players that have done the same or worse. We don't need to add any more kids that [...]
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