RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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TEMPE, AZ - SEPTEMBER 26: A TCU Horned Frogs helmet before the college football game between the TCU Horned Frogs and the Arizona State Sun Devils on September 26, 2025 at Mountain America Stadium in Tempe, Arizona. (Photo by Kevin Abele/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) (Icon Sportswire/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Two Texas Christian University football players got into a fight in the team's locker room on Aug. 13, leading to one player being kicked off the team. Now, as more details come to light, the university is cracking down on the exposure that made the fight's details public in the first place.
TCU Athletics has decided to rescind the credentials of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and beat reporter Steven Johnson after the newspaper published details of the locker room fight between safety Jacob Fields and wide receiver Dozie Ezukanma. According to the Star-Telegram , a spokesman for the program stated that Johnson's credentials were yanked after Ezukanma received threats over the incident.
Of note, Ezukanma self-reported the incident online, identifying himself as the victim in a now-deleted video on social media.
"Our primary focus is the health and well-being of our student-athlete," TCU athletic director Mike Buddie said in a statement on Tuesday. "Unfortunately, an unnamed source without first-hand knowledge of the incident provided inaccurate information cited in initial reporting by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, which we strongly disputed."
"The inclusion of the misinformation advanced a narrative that endangered a student-athlete and resulted in threats to him and his family. These actions led to the decision to withhold the media credential until additional conversation can be held between athletics and the sports reporting team. We remain dedicated to restoring our student to health as well as focusing on the game that's ahead."
Head coach Sonny Dykes of the TCU Horned Frogs speaks to the media during the Big 12 Media Days at The Ford Center at The Star on July 08, 2026 in Frisco, Texas. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) (Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
Johnson, now entering his tenth year as a professional reporter, has stops at the Daily Memphian and Gannett/USA TODAY Network prior to the Star-Telegram. Johnson has covered the Horned Frogs across football, men's and women's basketball since 2022.
According to Johnson on social media, it's clear that he-and presumably the newspaper-plan to send him to Ireland to cover the Horned Frogs game against North Carolina in Dublin.
"Getting my playlist together for Ireland," Johnson said on X. "Any shows/movies y'all recommend?"
Getting my playlist together for Ireland. Any shows/movies yall recommend?
- S. Johnson (@StevenMJohnson_) August 26, 2026 Fields, a senior transfer from Louisiana Tech, was dismissed from the program on Aug. 18 after the locker room altercation was reported to campus police. Ezukanma, a redshirt sophomore, is one of 5-to-6 receivers projected to receive snaps on offense to start the season.
"Like much of what circulates online, a significant portion of what has been shared on social media regarding this situation is false or purely speculative... Jacob misses TCU, his teammates, coaches and the relationships he built there," Phillip ‘Red' Miller of PM3 Sports said in the statement to the Star-Telegram . "He was a good student, a hard worker and competitor who built many meaningful friendships during his time at TCU."
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This article originally published at TCU reporter banned from covering football team after locker room fight .
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