Pittsburgh Steelers Linebacker Anthony Chickillo Arrested For Allegedly Assaulting Olympian Girlfriend
Another day, another NFL arrest.
Getty He was a football star who, like so many others before him, showed a great deal of promise when he first came onto the field. But now that he has been arrested for allegedly assaulting his girlfriend, his future on the field remains to be seen. Who is Anthony Chickillo, and what happened on that fateful night?
Born in Tampa, Florida, Anthony Chickillo got his start at the University of Miami. Getting his start as a backup, Anthony Chickillo eventually became a starter for Miami's team. He started 47 games in his college career and it was this notable stat that led him to get drafted to the NFL. He was eventually picked up by the Pittsburgh Steelers after Mike Tomlin showed interest in his on-field ability.
Now, however, Anthony Chickillo is known to all of us — fan and non-fan alike — for an entirely different reason. Let's look at what happened.
1. Anthony Chickillo was arrested for assaulting a woman.
According to The New York Post, Anthony Chickillo was arrested for assault after he pushed his girlfriend, Olympian Alysha Newman, in a fight that broke out at the Nemacolin Woodlands Resort in Pennsylvania. The outlet reports that the duo started fighting at the Lady Luck Casino, and it got so bad that they kept fighting all the way back to their room. It was there that the fight allegedly got violent, and Chickillo was arrested.
2. The NFL is currently investigating the incident.
"In regard to the recent incident involving Anthony Chickillo, we will continue to gather information, and we will fully cooperate with the NFL's investigation. Any discipline involving the player will be determined after the gathering of further information from law enforcement and the League Office," said Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert in a statement posted on NFL.com Tuesday.
3. Anthony Chickillo deleted social media.
Shortly after information about the incident was released to the media, Anthony Chickillo deleted all of his social media accounts, including his Twitter and his Instagram, according to USA Today. It's unclear if he did so on the directive of the Steelers, or if he did so of his own volition.
4. It's unclear how long Chickillo will be under investigation, but he will be subject to severe penalties, depending on how it goes.
According to CBS News, Anthony Chickillo is being charged with simple assault, criminal mischief and harassment. The outlet reports that he is out on bond and that he will be subjected to a number of penalties from the NFL if they conclude that he is, in fact, guilty. This finding is independent of any finding in court and can include fines, suspension and even revocation of a contract.
5. As of right now, he is still with the team.
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that as of this writing, Anthony Chickillo is still with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He has, however, been "told not to report to work Monday, and Tuesday is an off day for the players. Coach Mike Tomlin did not disclose whether Chickillo would be allowed to return to the team when practice resumes Wednesday."
On Wednesday, October 23, Chickillo was placed on the Reserve/Commissioner Exempt List. According to the NFL Manual, this is: "The Exempt List is a special player status available to clubs only in unusual circumstances. The List includes those players who have been declared by the Commissioner to be temporarily exempt from counting within the Active List limit." Basically, this allows the Steelers to bring on another player but Chickillo also still receives his paycheck. Lately, the Reserve/Commissioner Exempt List is most often used for players accused of domestic violence.
6. But some sportswriters are calling for Anthony Chickillo's termination.
USA Today is reporting that its editorial board believes that Anthony Chickillo should be terminated from the Steelers if, indeed, he did what he's been accused of doing. "If Chickillo did what he’s accused of he has to go. The only rub is whether or not the team should shoulder the risk of keeping Chickillo on the roster while things sort themselves out in the courts," they say, and frankly, we couldn't agree more.
Bernadette Giacomazzo is an editor, writer, and photographer whose work has appeared in People, Teen Vogue, Us Weekly, The Source, XXL, HipHopDX, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Post, and more. She is also the author of The Uprising series. For more information about Bernadette Giacomazzo, click here.