25 Sep, 2006
Backup punter accused of stabbing starter in kicking leg
Mitch Cozad, 19, (pictured on left) a walk-on from Wheatland, Wyo., was arrested by police in Evans, a small town just south of Greeley and only a few miles from the school's campus.
Rafael Mendoza, (pictured on right) a junior from Thornton, Colo., was struck in the head from behind and eventually stabbed by an assailant.
Police said interviews with coaches, friends, acquaintances and teammates of the suspect and victim established probable cause sufficient to arrest Cozad on a charge of second-degree assault.
He was kicked off the team and suspended from school Tuesday morning, athletic director Jay Hinrichs said Wednesday afternoon at a hastily called news conference.
"We acted fast, quickly and efficiently with authorities when this situation came to light," Hinrichs said.
The two punters were locked in three-way battle along with Zak Bigelow for the starting job during preseason practices. Mendoza, last year's starter, won the job and averaged 37.6 yards on nine punts in the Bears' first two games this season.
The only apparent motive was the competition for the starting spot, Kessler said.
photo courtesy erin hooley/AP & story usatoday.com/sports, 9/13/06
Getting our kicks out of sin
This story about the backup punter stabbing the starter has been all over the news. Obviously, he took his selfish desires to the extreme. Unbelievable! But what amazes me even more is that he must have thought he could get away with it! Duh...
What does today's God's Story teach us about "getting away with it"?
Be honest. What were you thinking the last time when you thought you could get away with a little sin? What happened? Do you think you still might get caught some day?
Moses, the author of Numbers, gets right to the point doesn't he? We can be sure that our sins will find us out. Often, our sin is discovered because we're arrogant and think that we're invincible. Even if we're not caught, or if others don't find out, we must remember that the Lord knows our sin. Sin will always affect us in some way. There are always consequences. We are responsible.
Thankfully, we have a loving God who has graciously taken on the responsibility for our forgiveness. When His Son, Jesus, died on the cross, He made it possible for us to always have our accounts cleaned up.
We can't get away with it, but Jesus died for it. That's God's grace.
How can you connect today's God's Story to your life?
- Thank God that His Holy Spirit makes you aware of your sin. Claim 1st John 1:9 right now for any sin that is "finding you out". Thank Jesus for His complete forgiveness and ask Him to help you make choices every day that will honor and please Him.
- Whenever you see a football being kicked this fall, remember that you can't get your kicks out of sinning or trying to hide it.
How can you connect today's story, God's Story and your story to others?
- Use today's story as a way to go talk to someone who needs to hear you apologize and ask for forgiveness. Tell this person you realized that you can't get away with "it".
- Use this DAILYBIDE as a topic for discussion with your small group or youth group or forward it to a friend.
- You probably know someone in your circle of influence (storysphere) who is trying to get away with sin. Don't use this DAILYBIDE to judge them or preach at them. Instead, be an example of God's grace as you figure out ways to care and show them unconditional love. They just might open up and talk to you, because Jesus will help them see that He cares and forgives through your example.
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