WSU Player Says Suspension Stems From Fight At Frat Party

Washington State University football player Ivan Mercer confirmed Saturday that his recent suspension for “inappropriate behavior” stemmed from his involvement in a fight at a fraternity party.

Mercer, 20, has not been charged with a crime and the police report of the incident is unavailable until Monday, a Pullman Police Department spokesman said.

“I was involved in a fight and it was in self-defense and there’s a lot of untrue accusations out there,” Mercer said. “Whatever happens, I’m just going to try to prove those wrong.”

Brooks McCracken and Andee Schmick, both former Washington Class B basketball stars, were together at the March 28 party and sustained injuries after Mercer and McCracken bumped into each other and soon began fighting, Schmick said Saturday.

Mercer declined to discuss the fight further. McCracken, who starred at Garfield-Palouse and is now a WSU student, could not be reached for comment.

But Schmick, who led St. John-Endicott to the 1996 girls state championship and now plays at Eastern Washington University, said McCracken suffered a broken jaw that remains wired shut.

Schmick also said she was struck in the mouth by Mercer while attempting to intervene.

“It was an explosion of testosterone,” Schmick said. “My face was in the wrong place at the wrong time, basically. I don’t know if the guy meant to nail me. I don’t know if he realized it was a girl standing between (them).”

Schmick said her injuries have required dental work, including two root canals.

“The left-front one was pushed in and behind the right front one and now they’re abscessing,” she said. “They were knocked pretty far into my mouth.”

In a statement released by WSU last week, football coach Mike Price said Mercer, a 6-foot-6, 225-pound backup tight end from Roseville, Calif., had been suspended indefinitely.

, DataTimes