This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

college football • Three University of Alabama football players have been charged with knocking students unconscious and stealing their wallets, while a fourth player has been charged with using a stolen debit card, officials said Tuesday in Tuscaloosa.

Linebacker Tyler Hayes, 18, and safety Eddie Williams, 20, confessed to robbing a student who was punched in the head and face and kicked in the ribs and back early Monday morning, according to court documents. Williams said D.J. Pettway, 20, a defensive lineman, and Hayes waited in a nearby vehicle about an hour later while he knocked out and robbed another student. Williams and Hayes both admitted to their involvement, according to the documents.

Williams and running back Brent Calloway, 20, both admitted to using a stolen credit card to buy snacks from vending machines inside a dormitory, the documents said.

The four players, all backups last season, were indefinitely suspended by coach Nick Saban.

Pettway and Hayes were charged with second-degree robbery. Williams was charged with fraudulent use of a credit card and second-degree robbery. Calloway was charged with fraudulent use of a credit card. Williams was released on $65,000 bond, while Hayes and Pettway were released on $60,000 bond each. Calloway was released on $5,000 bond.

"This behavior is unacceptable for any student-athlete at the University of Alabama and not representative of our football program," Saban said in a news release.

All four players were backups last season for Alabama, which has won two straight national titles and three of the past four. Williams didn't play in 2012. But he was one of the nation's top prospects the previous year and moved from receiver to safety.

The first student reported having his Apple Macbook Pro stolen from his backpack. Both sustained mild concussions, cuts on the face and heavy swelling, and had their wallets taken, according to documents.

University police posted an advisory Monday saying two students reported being approached by two men who asked for a light for a cigarette.

Police also said Williams had been arrested on a charge of carrying a pistol without a permit a day before his arrest on the robbery charges. Tuscaloosa police Sgt. Brent Blankley said in a news release that a clerk at a gas station called police early Sunday, telling officers that Williams threatened that he had something in his trunk after a fight about paying for gas.

Officers who pulled over Williams found a pistol in his pants pocket, the release said. In that case, he was released on $500 bond.

Jail records did not show whether any of the players had an attorney.

Pettway, who was a redshirt freshman, played in 13 games and had 2 1/2 sacks and eight tackles.

Hayes had 14 tackles as a freshman.

Calloway played mostly on special teams but gained 63 yards on 10 carries. He has moved around on the field, working as a linebacker, tight end and H-back since Alabama signed the onetime Auburn commitment.

Calloway was arrested on a charge of marijuana possession in October 2011 during a redshirt season.

Ex-adviser: Young's party cost $300K

football • The former financial adviser for ex-NFL quarterback Vince Young said under oath that he arranged a high-interest, seven-figure loan for Young during the 2011 lockout because the player wanted to throw himself a $300,000 birthday party even though he was running low on funds. Ronnie Peoples said during a videotaped deposition last month that he contacted New York-based Pro Player Funding LLC about the loan. Young is challenging a $1.7 million judgment obtained against him in New York last July by Pro Player.

Young's attorney, Trey Dolezal, disputed the account of the party.

• The Chicago Bears have terminated the contract of receiver Johnny Knox after he missed this past season recovering from a back injury.

The team announced the move on Tuesday.

Knox needed surgery to stabilize a vertebra after he sustained a gruesome back injury against Seattle late in the 2011 season. The Seahawks' Kam Chancellor poked the ball out of his hands following a reception, and as Knox made a diving attempt to retrieve it, he was hit by Anthony Hargrove and bent backward.

Knox had 133 receptions for 2,214 yards from 2009 to 2011 and was a contributor on special teams with 55 kickoff returns for 1,506 yards.

Roddick returning to team tennis

tennis • Andy Roddick is returning to the tennis courts this summer.

Roddick was the first pick by the Springfield, Mo., Lasers in the Mylan World Team Tennis draft on Tuesday.

Sloane Stephens, ranked No. 17 after defeating Serena Williams at the Australian Open, was selected by the Philadelphia Freedoms.

Roddick, who retired after the U.S. Open, says he looks forward to his seventh WTT season and "the fan energy. I love being on a team."

Venus Williams returns to the defending champion Washington Kastles.

The new WTT team, the Texas Wild, will retain the No. 1 doubles team of Bob and Mike Bryan. The former Kansas City squad has relocated to Irving, Texas.

The eight-team league starts July 7, with the winner of the Eastern and Western Conference facing off in the final July 28.

The Associated Press