At Saturday morning's tailgate, Rutgers fans reacted to the Thursday arrests of five players with disappointment, but continued optimism for the season.
PISCATAWAY -- Harold Hall, a retired police detective, worked for the Trenton police force 30 years and has seen a lot of young people squander their lives. As he turned Trenton's own Laffler's hot dogs on the grill on Saturday morning at a family tailgate before Rutgers University's opening game, he sighed.
"They're (almost) millionaires, and now their future's dead," said Hall, 79, of Trenton, as he reflected on the recent arrest of five Rutgers football players. "On the verge of making it -- to this."
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Four current Rutgers football players were charged on Thursday in connection with an attack in April. Another player was charged in connection to home robberies this spring. All have been dismissed from the program. Coach Kyle Flood is currently being investigated by the university for allegedly contacting a professor over the grades of one of the arrested students, Nadir Barnwell, 20.
At the Saturday morning tailgate before the season's 12 p.m. opener against Norfolk State, fans like Hall expressed a general sense of disappointment about the arrests. Still, they had fun. They were optimistic for the season, they said, and stood behind the rest of the team.
Some defended the young men, saying, if the allegations are true, young people make mistakes. Others offered no words of defense for the arrested players, calling them "bad apples" if they did commit these felonies.
"Innocent until proven guilty, right? It's a shame but it is what it is," said Noel Powell, 47, Willingboro, whose high school son is being recruited by Rutgers for basketball. "Let's see if this makes them stronger. It should make them stronger as a team."
Dorothy Kalucki, 60,of Rockaway, and her husband, both Rutgers alumni whose children went to Rutgers, came to the first game to support the team following the news. "We need to be thinking more positively and creating more positivity," she said.
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Andy Mazer, 61, a football player from Rutgers's Class of 1975, said that athletes should realize they have a special pressure to be role models since "they're in the media all the time" and "elected to be a part of this opportunity."
"Let's face it. It's a business, football, basketball," he said. "I just think if there's a problem, does it need to be blown out of proportion? Let's eliminate them and continue with what they have. Let's move forward."
Other fans emphasized that Rutgers has a lot going for it, and that it's not the only school with these troubles.
Will Moore, 24, Wood-Ridge, a Rutgers Class of 2013 alum, pointed out that Rutgers is known for "being great in the classroom" and these allegations fall outside the norm for players. "They're national champs in the gridiron," he said. "We should win a national championship in the classroom."
RELATED: 5 Rutgers football players arrested in connection with home invasions and assault
Likewise, Nicole Hreno, 27, a Rutgers University Dance Marathon Alumni member, said she wished more attention could be given to the university's good works. She was at the event promoting her organization, which raised $690,000 this year for children with cancer.
"I think it's unfortunate that we get press for the bad things that happen when there's so much good going on," she said.
George Bradley, 58, of Howell, was eating a hamburger at his tailgate station, supporting Rutgers for the 33rd year.
Rutgers and football players in general get heat for these arrests, but lots of schools, athletes and people in general have controversies, he said; he just heard that Washington State University's team has over 30 arrests.
"We're not immune to it. It happens," he said.
Laura Herzog may be reached at lherzog@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @LauraHerzogL. Find NJ.com on Facebook.