Former Rebel booted from Eastern Kentucky team

Thursday, Dec. 10, 1998 | 11:10 a.m.

Jon Denton, who set several NCAA freshman passing records at UNLV but ultimately was kicked off the team for unspecified team violations, has met with the same fate at his second school, Division I-AA Eastern Kentucky.

The Lexington (Ky.) Herald-Leader has reported that Colonels coach Roy Kidd booted Denton in the aftermath of the Green Valley native breaking curfew prior to EKU's last game, and "not doing the things he's supposed to do," since the end of the season.

"That's go to study table, his classes, and getting up and going to breakfast," Kidd told the Herald-Leader. "(His) academic advisor told me she'd gotten word on two of his classes, and he's not attending them."

Denton also missed a scheduled postseason meeting with his coach.

"He was due in Monday, and he didn't show," Kidd said.

Denton had had an outstanding year until he was suspended a day before the Colonels' last game, passing for 1,844 yards and a school-record 18 touchdowns.

He had indicated before being dismissed from the EKU team that he was considering forsaking his senior year to enter the NFL draft.

Denton passed for 3,591 yards and 25 touchdowns as a redshirt freshman at UNLV in 1996 but had a rocky 1997 season. He threw for 2,596 yards but had just one more TD pass (18) than interception (17) and was suspended twice for breakng unspecified team rules.