This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Provo • Troubled outside linebacker Sione Takitaki's sophomore season at BYU is over.
Coach Bronco Mendenhall announced Thursday morning that Takitaki has been suspended for the remainder of the season due to an undisclosed violation of team rules.
The Cougars (5-2) play host to Wagner (0-6) on Saturday at 1 p.m. at LaVell Edwards Stadium.
Takitaki, from Fontana, Calif., recorded 21 tackles and 3.5 sacks in six games this season and had recently moved into a starting role on BYU's defense.
He was suspended for the Cougars' season opener at Nebraska after being charged with two counts of misdemeanor theft in July for stealing apparel from the school's track and women's soccer teams.
Last week, he accepted a deal in court and pleaded guilty to one count of Class B misdemeanor theft while a similar charge was dismissed.
According to a BYU campus police report, Takitaki stole a "one-of-a-kind" track jacket and some soccer clothing while working as a janitor for the school and was identified through surveillance video. He returned the stolen items and cooperated with the investigation.
It wasn't Takitaki's first brush with trouble at BYU.
In the summer of 2014, just after he arrived on campus, Takitaki was briefly kicked off the team for fighting in the dorms on campus. However, Mendenhall allowed Takitaki back after the team voted to give him another chance.
Later that season, he was suspended for not showing up at practice just days after a breakout performance against Central Florida and had to sit out the next game, against Nevada.
Twitter: @drewjay