USC Signee Arrested

Breaking news: USC signee Hampton arrested
Defensive back charged with underage drinking

Written by Joseph Person, The State

Posted on 02.05.10

POSTED: 5:22 P.M.

Incoming South Carolina defensive back Victor Hampton was arrested after taking alcohol to Darlington High School on Friday, two days after signing with the Gamecocks.

An official at the Darlington County jail said Hampton was booked shortly after noon for underage drinking. The 17-year-old Hampton was released Friday evening after posting a $1,500 surety bond.

A Darlington police spokesperson said an incident report would not be available until Monday. Attempts to reach the school’s resource officer were unsuccessful.

Hampton, who is rated a four-star recruit by Rivals.com, has at least one prior arrest. He was charged with disorderly conduct in Charlotte on July 3, 2008, but said the charge was later dropped.

Hampton’s mother, Connie Boykin, said Hampton was arrested for directing an obscenity at an officer in a Charlotte mall.

Hampton apologized Friday night in a statement released by Cheveron Scott, the Darlington attorney and former Florence judge with whom Hampton lives. Hampton said “poor judgment” caused him to bring alcohol on the school grounds.

“I deeply regret putting myself in this situation and the ultimate responsibility is mine and mine alone,” Hampton said. “I know that I have let so many people down who believed in me, from my family to friends to Darlington High School to USC. … I realize that I can never allow anything like this to happen again.”

Scott said he expected the misdemeanor charge to be resolved soon, but declined further comment.

USC media relations director Steve Fink said Gamecocks coach Steve Spurrier was out of town Friday and could not be reached.

Hampton has attended four schools in four years. He was dismissed from Charlotte’s Independence High team last summer following a run-in with a teammate and an argument with Independence coach Tom Knotts.

“We never had an ugly falling-out. It was just finally to the point where I drew the line in the sand and said, ‘Vic, don’t cross it.’ And he crossed it,” Knotts told The State last month. “It was better for both of us to move along.”

Hampton originally committed to Florida before the Gators stopped recruiting him after his trouble at Independence and concerns about his grades. Hampton lacks the necessary test score to qualify, although he recently took the SAT again.

The 5-foot-9, 175-pound Hampton had 50 tackles and three interceptions last fall in his only season at Darlington. In an interview with The State last month, Hampton said he thought moving from Charlotte to Darlington was beneficial, adding that he had gone a couple of months without getting in trouble.

In his statement, Hampton said he hopes to learn from Friday’s incident.

“Once this situation is taken care of in the court, I am prepared to move forward and be the positive role model that I should be.”