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Didn't take long to find a better story...

They say that you should keep your friends close and your enemies closer.

Unless your enemy has a knife and stabs you in the leg.

Now...a little leg stabbing doesn't seem all that bad, unless you're a college punter and your attacker was....that's right.

THE BACKUP PUNTER.

Yeah...you read that right. The University of Northern Colorado punter was attacked and stabbed in the kicking leg by his backup.

This guy really much have wanted to punt. Now...he's been punted from the team and school...and will be facing second-degree assault charges.

What an idiot. I'm guessing he's taken one to many "roughing the kicker" hits to the head.

Is the competition at the college kicking level so great that it warrants potentially career-ending attacks?

Were there other motives that we're not aware of...or was this guy just hell-bent on being the Northern Colorado punter?

GREELEY, Colo. -- The University of Northern Colorado's reserve punter was arrested Tuesday, accused of stabbing his rival in his kicking leg.

Mitch Cozad, a sophomore from Wheatland, Wyo., allegedly attacked starting punter Rafael Mendoza in a parking lot in Evans on Monday night, Evans police Lt. Gary Kessler said.

Mendoza, the Bears' first-string punter from Thornton, was treated and released from the North Colorado Medical Center Monday night. Coach Scott Downing said Mendoza will not punt for UNC in Saturday's game at Texas State University.

"I don't know how long he'll be out because I haven't talked to the doctor," Downing said.

Cozad, Mendoza and freshman Zak Bigelow had been in a three-way race for the starting punter's job in preseason training. Mendoza has averaged 37.6 yards per punt on nine punts in the two games so far this season.

Cozad is facing second-degree assault charges and was scheduled to appear in court Wednesday for a bond hearing. He was suspended from the team, evicted from his residence and expelled from school on Tuesday, The Greeley Tribune reported.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Posted by Jason Palmer at 11:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)