Former Guy Toph winner arrested

Former Chamberlain QB Dontae Aycock, the 2008 Guy Toph Award winner, was arrested last Friday on misdemeanor charges of domestic violence and criminal mischief less than $200.

Aycock, 20, was arrested by Tampa police Friday morning at his apartment at 4050 Rocky Creek and released the following afternoon on his own recognizance.

According to a Tampa Police Department report, Aycock is accused by his girlfriend of striking her about the head and arms upon discovering some information on her cell phone while visiting her on Jan. 25.

After arguing for a while, the girlfriend said Aycock punched a 4-inch hole in her closet door. The girlfriend said after Aycock calmed down, she drove him home, but returned from work the next day to find her patio screen vandalized and an expletive scratched onto her front door.

In a follow-up interview with police, the report states, Aycock denied hitting the victim at any time, and said he wasn't even at the accuser's house on Jan. 25. He said he discovered the text messages around New Year's Day, and threw a chair in her apartment that damaged the wall in her closet.

Aycock evolved into one of the area's top feel-good stories while at Chamberlain. After a turbulent childhood spent living with different relatives, he moved to Tampa after his eighth-grade year to live with brother Dwight Smith, then a Buccaneers defensive back.

Smith moved on to the New Orleans Saints, but Aycock moved in with other relatives and flourished at Chamberlain. His senior season, he amassed nearly 2,900 total yards and 45 touchdowns, leading the Chiefs to an 11-2 record.

But he never played a down in college. Aycock signed with Auburn in February 2009, but according to the school, was dismissed 15 months later for an undisclosed violation of team rules. He transferred to USF, sat out the 2010 season, then quit in August 2011. At the time, Bulls coach Skip Holtz said Aycock indicated he no longer had the desire to play.