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'07 MD LB Pat Lazear (West Virginia signee)

scarletngrey11

All right, all right, all right.
Pat Lazear

Walt Whitman HS
(Bethesda, MD)

Height: 6'1"
Weight: 215 lbs.
40-yard dash: 4.6

Interested in Alabama, Duke, Florida, Maryland, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Penn State, Pittsburgh, and West Virginia.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Scout $

6/14

Pat visited tOSU and enjoyed Coach Fickell. He has tOSU as his leader and claims 20 offers. He has a 3.5 core gpa and a 1660 SAT.

Not sure what is happening here though....this offer won't stick imo.

Washington Post

6/14

4 Whitman Athletes Charged in Robbery

By Josh Barr
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, May 25, 2006; Page E01

Four Whitman High School athletes have been charged with felony assault and armed robbery in connection with a March 30 robbery at a business in downtown Bethesda. A fifth classmate, who worked at the store, also has been charged.
The five students, all 17-year-old juniors, were charged as adults because of the serious nature of the charges, police said. "Because there was an innocent victim who was robbed at gunpoint, at this time we don't believe this was a prank," Montgomery County State's Attorney Douglas F. Gansler said.

Four of the students -- Pat Lazear, a 2005 All-Met football player, Justin Schweiger, Tommy Ashley and Alex Krouskas -- were charged with armed robbery, first-degree assault, theft of less than $500 and conspiracy to commit each of those crimes. The charges carry a maximum punishment of 93 years in prison and a $1,000 fine. Robert Warren was charged with two counts of first-degree assault, two counts of armed robbery, using a handgun to commit a crime and theft of less than $500. Those charges carry a maximum punishment of 161 1/2 years in prison and a fine of $500.
The robbery occurred around 9 p.m. on March 30 at the Smoothie King on Wisconsin Avenue. Krouskas worked at the shop and was one of two employees on duty when Warren entered carrying a gun, police said. Warren left the shop with $463 and got into a car driven by Lazear, police said. Police said Ashley, Schweiger and Warren's girlfriend also were in the vehicle.
Warren was arrested on April 27 and was released April 28 on $15,000 bond. The other four students were arrested at school last Thursday, according to court documents. Krouskas was released on $100,000 bond. Lazear, Ashley and Schweiger were released on Friday after posting $15,000 bond.
Whitman Principal Alan Goodwin said yesterday that the five students were being allowed to attend class and finish the school year because the alleged incident took place outside of school and because none of the five had been involved in any disciplinary problems.
"I'm real disappointed that the charges are so serious and I hope the boys learn from this at an early age, that they don't make bigger mistakes when they're older," Goodwin said after reading a statement from police outlining the charges. "And I hope the other students in the community see that they should avoid making similar decisions that will adversely affect them."
Lazear, Schweiger, Ashley and Warren are members of the football and wresting teams at Whitman. A highly touted linebacker and fullback, Lazear attended a luncheon in Washington yesterday afternoon honoring this school year's All-Met athletes selected by The Washington Post. The 6-foot-1, 215-pound Lazear has 20 college football scholarship offers, including some from the country's top football teams.
Reached by telephone yesterday evening, Lazear's father, Harry, an assistant football coach at Whitman, said: "There's nothing we can say to help us. It's something that's going to have to go through the courts." Lazear added that the gun "involved was not a real gun." He declined further comment.
It could not be determined what impact the arrest would have on Lazear's scholarship prospects. An assistant coach at one school that has offered a scholarship to Lazear said that some colleges might be hesitant to recruit him, especially in light of the controversy this spring surrounding the Duke men's lacrosse team in which three players -- including one from the Landon School just down the street from Whitman -- have been charged with raping an exotic dancer at a team party.
"Particularly in light of recent events, colleges are going to be very critical of issues of character," said the assistant coach, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
According to a statement of charges filed in District Court by Montgomery County police, Warren's girlfriend said that the five students "planned the robbery while at school earlier the day of the robbery."

The girl, who was not identified by name, told police that the four athletes met at Warren's house on Westbard Avenue and that "Warren prepared a bag to carry his robbery gear -- mask, goggles, hoodie. Lazear drove Warren's vehicle and dropped Warren off by the Smoothie King so he could run in to rob the business."
The girl told police that "the gun used in the robbery belonged to Pat Lazear," the police statement said.

After dropping off Warren, Lazear drove to nearby Bethesda Elementary School to wait for Warren to meet them, according to the charges filed by police. The charges said the five subsequently went to a local pizza restaurant for dinner. The girl told police that "Warren divided the robbery proceeds in the vehicle: she received $5, Schweiger and Ashley each received $10." Warren told police that he also "gave Krouskas $40 from the robbery proceeds," according to the statement.
Police interviewed Krouskas on April 17 and he "admitted that he knew who had robbed the Smoothie King but initially refused to provide a name stating he wasn't a 'snitch,' " the statement said. It said Krouskas later told police that Warren was the robber.
According to the police statement, Krouskas told them that the plot was hatched at a tech ed class, where "several members of the wrestling and football team were talking about Robert Warren wanting to rob the Smoothie King."
"Krouskas informed Warren it would be a bad idea because of the cameras at the business," the statement said.
The statement said "police reports indicate Justin Schweiger has a juvenile arrest record to include theft under [$500], credit card misuse and conspiracy. According to the same police report, Patrick Lazear was arrested along with Schweiger and charged with the same offenses relating to the same incident."
David Driscoll, an attorney representing Warren, declined to comment. Krouskas also declined to comment. Attempts to reach Ashley and Schweiger were unsuccessful.
Preliminary hearings for the four defendants other than Warren had been set for tomorrow, but prosecutors said they will be continued until June 16 at the request of the defendants' lawyers.



Washington Post

6/14

Many Puzzled About Motive Of 'Whitman 5'

Teens Face June Court Date On Robbery Allegations

By Lori Aratani and Josh Barr
Washington Post Staff Writers
Saturday, May 27, 2006; Page B01

One is a high school football star, already courted by 20 colleges. Two others are talented athletes in their own right. Few in the community believe that the students -- now dubbed "the Whitman Five" by their classmates after being charged in connection with an armed robbery -- would have done it for the money. So the question remains: Why?
Pat Lazear, the football star, and wrestlers Justin Schweiger, Tommy Ashley and Alex Krouskas, all 17-year-old juniors, were arrested at Walt Whitman High School in Bethesda on May 19. Robert Warren, also 17 and a junior, was arrested April 27. In March, police say, the teenagers allegedly hatched a plan to rob the Smoothie King in downtown Bethesda at gunpoint. After committing the robbery, they drove down the street, divvied up the money and treated themselves to pizza, police say.

Two of the five teenagers -- Lazear and Ashley -- appeared in court yesterday, although neither spoke. During the preliminary hearing, Montgomery County District Court Judge Mary Beth McCormick agreed to delay the cases against Ashley, Lazear, Krouskas and Schweiger until June 16. Warren's case had previously been set for that date. The state might move to indict the defendants before the court date, assistant state's attorney Thomas DeGonia said.
Lazear, dressed in a blazer, sat with his father, an assistant football coach at Whitman, in the rear of the courtroom and left as soon as his attorney arranged for the case to be continued. Ashley, dressed in a coat and tie, appeared with his parents and left without comment.
Ashley's attorney, Barry H. Helfand, said after the hearing that his client is innocent and challenged the account of the crime given by the girlfriend of one of the defendants. He said he will seek to have the case heard in juvenile court and will ask for a trial on the charges.
Warren's attorney, David Driscoll, said in an interview yesterday that "details will emerge that will shed a different light on this. There's more to it than meets the eye."
The incident is fueling much gossip and speculation on the 1,800-student campus, where Lazear is already a heavily recruited college football prospect, and two of the other students, Schweiger and Ashley, are considered gifted athletes. On Wednesday, Principal Alan Goodwin posted a message on the school's electronic discussion forum cautioning people not to get "involved in speculation" and to "allow the judicial process to run its course."
Still, the question of what might have motivated the teenagers -- students at one of the county's most highly regarded campuses -- to do such a thing seemed to be on everyone's mind.
"I think it's insanely stupid,'' said Alex Dembski, 18, a Whitman senior, "just a bad decision all around."
"I think it will hurt Whitman,'' added Alexander Borman, also a senior. "Whitman is a very good school, and people are very disappointed about this. Pat is extremely well known."
But some in the community suggested the incident was being blown out of proportion.
"I think children are often guilty of youthful indiscretions, and they make mistakes,'' said Pat Elder, the parent of a freshman at the school. "Whitman has a stellar reputation as a stellar academic institution. You have five boys who did something stupid, and the school will play its role in helping them recover and move forward.''

Whitman football coach Eric Wallich added, "All these kids are pretty good kids. Allegedly, they made a bad decision. Even though they are charged with pretty serious crimes, I don't know if the media is portraying everything accurately."
According to the charging documents, the five allegedly discussed robbing the shop during their tech-ed classes March 30 and later that day met at Warren's house, where he prepared a bag to carry robbery gear -- mask, goggles and hooded sweat shirt. Lazear drove Warren's vehicle and dropped him off by the Smoothie King, the documents say. Two employees were working, one of whom was Krouskas, when Warren allegedly entered the shop carrying a gun. He allegedly showed the gun and left with $463.

The documents then state that Warren met up with the others, who were waiting in the car at nearby Bethesda Elementary school. The group then drove to Uno's Pizzeria, where they were joined by Krouskas and Warren's girlfriend and ate dinner. Warren is said to have divided up the money, giving his girlfriend $5, Schweiger and Ashley each $10. Krouskas allegedly received $40. It was not clear how much money Warren or Lazear might have received.
Driscoll, Warren's attorney, said the weapon allegedly used was "inoperable. . . . It was a gun that was not capable of firing a round."
Police and prosecutors do not dispute the claim, but they say it's irrelevant.
"Fake gun, real gun, it's still armed robbery," said Cpl. Sonia Pruitt, a Montgomery County police spokeswoman.
In yesterday's edition of the high school's newspaper, Warren said he had no intention of committing a felony or harming the employees. "It's not what it seems. It was just a dumb prank that went wrong. I'm not saying it wasn't serious, but it was just something really stupid. It [the gun] was fake. It was just a toy gun."
Although school officials say the students were never involved in trouble at school, at least three have police records.
According to court papers, Warren "was recently charged as an adult with possession of a firearm by a minor, discharge of a firearm in an urban area, and reckless endangerment." The case was sent to juvenile court. Warren also has a juvenile record that includes theft and burglary, according to the documents.
Police reports also noted that Schweiger and Lazear have juvenile arrest records that include theft under $500, credit card misuse and conspiracy.
Wallich, the football coach, said Lazear "is definitely a leader in the school, just on sheer athletic ability." Schweiger and Ashley also are talented athletes. This season, Schweiger started at wide receiver and linebacker; Ashley started at offensive guard. Warren, who transferred to Whitman from John F. Kennedy High last summer, was a reserve running back and linebacker and did not play much, Wallich said.
"It's tough answering all the questions, feeling like everyone is coming down on our program, when it's a good program," Wallich said. "We run a clean program, and we try to do a good job with kids. And we do for the most part. It's been difficult."


Link

6/14

A cloudy future

Wednesday, June 7, 2006


Chay Rao
On Sports


My most enduring memory of Pat Lazear from the 2005 football season was paradoxically in a game that Whitman High lost. On Oct. 28, Magruder traveled to Bethesda and walloped Whitman, 40-28, as the young Vikings defense made plenty of mistakes. But on that night, Lazear, a 6-foot-1, 229-pound junior showed why he and the team had so much potential.
At linebacker, he tackled with abandon and ferocity, so much so that the Colonels stopped running plays anywhere near him by halftime. He was Whitman’s offense, carrying the ball on 10 of its first 14 plays, en route to 226 yards rushing and two touchdowns.
When the Vikings were pinned deep in their own territory, he even punted. Lazear showed off the talent that caused more than 20 colleges to come knocking, including high-profile local and national programs Maryland, Nebraska and Oklahoma. The future, it seemed, was stretched in front of him, shining and bright.
That is what makes the events of May 18 so puzzling. In case you missed it, Lazear, and teammates Justin Schweiger, Tommy Ashley and Robert Warren were charged as adults for their roles in the robbery of a Smoothie King on Wisconsin Avenue in Bethesda on March 30. All were charged with one count each of armed robbery, first-degree assault, theft under $500 and conspiracy to commit each crime.
According to District Court charging documents, the four athletes, who are on Whitman’s football and wrestling teams, hatched the plan in a Tech Ed class, along with classmate Alex Krouskas, who worked at the Smoothie King and was also charged. Later that same day, documents state, Lazear drove Warren, Schweiger and Ashley, along with Warren’s girlfriend to the store, where Krouskas was one of two employees on duty. Warren entered the store carrying a gun and left with $463, according to documents. Defense attorneys for the teens have indicated that they will move to have the case remanded to juvenile court.
All of a sudden, one of the most highly regarded public schools in the county has been thrown into turmoil. As the students, dubbed ‘‘the Whitman five” wait for a June 16 preliminary hearing in District Court, speculation about what will happen has increased dramatically. On the Web site, mocofootball.com, which is a forum for fans of Montgomery County high school football, reaction has been varied. Posts have ranged from the cautious (‘‘this whole thing is sad, let’s wait and see what the facts are,”) to the confrontational (‘‘they obviously haven’t learned ... lock um [sic] up”).
So what really happened and what’s this all about?
Reached at home last Monday (May 30), Pat Lazear and his father Harry, who is an assistant football coach for the Vikings, declined comment. Barry H. Helfand, Ashley’s attorney, did not respond to requests for an interview, but said outside of court on May 26 that his client is innocent. The whole affair has weighed heavily on Whitman’s head football coach, Eric Wallich.
‘‘It’s hard,” Wallich said. ‘‘We’re trying to run a good program, and we try to get the message out to the kids that they have to act a certain way, and for the most part, we do that. What they’ve been accused of is severe, and you have to treat it seriously, but right now things are not the way that the media is portraying it. Their teammates know the real scoop. They’ve been pretty supportive.”
Whatever the ‘‘real scoop” is, if the allegations are true, it is hard to understand why these students risked so much for so little. It is unknown how much money Warren and Lazear received, but Ashley, an offensive guard, and Schweiger, a wide receiver and linebacker, received $10 each, according to court documents. The fact that four of the defendants are high-profile athletes may have had a bigger influence than monetary gain.
‘‘There is an element of thrill seeking,” Dr. Sagar Gurijala, a Philadelphia psychiatrist, said. ‘‘But star athletes are more susceptible to antisocial behaviors. Societal expectations are such that it inflates their ego beyond maturity levels. As a result, perspective isn’t indoctrinated, leading to self destructive behavior.”
If that is the case, though, it couldn’t have come at a worse time. The summer between an athlete’s junior and senior years is possibly the most important in the college recruiting process, and in the case of Lazear, would have been used to increase his already diverse options. At the Maryland Junior Combine a month ago, he showed off his athleticism to a host of college scouts. Projected as a college linebacker, Lazear ran the 40-yard dash in 4.7 seconds, bench-pressed 185 pounds 32 times, and broad jumped more than 8 1⁄2 feet, putting his numbers in the realm of elite athletes. With these charges, that future is clouded.
‘‘We can’t comment specifically about anyone that we’re recruiting, but when you look at the players we have character is always an issue,” said Greg Kreese, the University of Maryland’s sports information director. ‘‘I can’t speak directly for the football program, but I know coach [Ralph] Friedgen recruits players that will fit that description. You want to know what you’re getting, from how they play to what kind of kids they are. Character is part of the whole package.”
Right now, those are ominous words for Lazear, who hoped to make a decision about his college plans by the end of the summer, according to his coach. Wallich is now in the dark, along with everyone else.
‘‘I don’t know what’s happening with Pat’s career right now,” Wallich said. ‘‘Anything could happen.”
So, in this state of flux, the only thing to do is wait. The Vikings hope that their teammates will be exonerated, or at the very least, reach an agreement that will allow them to return to the field in time for next season, as they attempt to make the playoffs for the first time since 2003. Certainly, the accused hope for the same thing, but now, instead of a summer spent looking forward to a promising future, they will probably spend it in courtrooms, hoping that future does not slip away.



Link


6/14

Whitman linebacker arrested in robbery


bp308.jpg

Pat Lazear




By Erik McCabe Anderson
Special to The Sentinel

Police say they have arrested a well-known county high school football player in connection with a robbery in Bethesda.
First Team All-Sentinel linebacker Patrick Lazear, 17, of Walt Whitman High School, was arrested on May 18 along with several other classmates in connection with the late March armed robbery of a Bethesda Smoothie King on Wisconsin Avenue. Lazear and the four other Whitman High students were charged as adults with armed robbery, first degree assault, theft under $500 and conspiracy to commit each. They have all been released on bond, and a preliminary hearing will be held June 9 to determine trial dates.
Lazear, contacted by phone, said he remains optimistic about his chances, though his future is now very much up in the air. "Right now they are just charges. Charges can happen to anybody, so we'll see what happens," Lazear said.
On March 30 around 9 p.m., a masked male suspect armed with a gun entered the Smoothie King and demanded money from employees Alexander Krouskas, 17, and David Hicks, and fled with $463 in cash.
According to charging documents, during an interview with the police, Krouskas admitted that he knew the identity of the robber but would not disclose it. He later confessed the robber to be a classmate from Whitman High named Robert Warren, 17, and that Warren approached him at school on the same day of the robbery and discussed robbing the Smoothie King. Krouskas also stated that several members of the football and wrestling teams also talked about wanting to rob the establishment.
Warren was arrested and then charged as an adult for the robbery April 27 and was released on bond the following day. During a voluntary interview with police, Warren admitted to robbing the Smoothie King and named four other Whitman High students as accomplices, including Lazear, whom Warren alleged drove the getaway vehicle and helped plan the robbery earlier that day. Lazear was further implicated when Warren's girlfriend admitted to police that the gun used in the robbery belonged to Lazear.
Lazear and his friends are not permitted to attend school, but are allowed to continue their school work in the few remaining weeks of the semester.
Whether the charges will have negative implications for Lazear's eligibility to play football is not yet known.
"Athletically speaking, we do not have a specific rule that would deal with a student arrest," said Duke Beattie, director of athletics for Montgomery County public schools. According to Beattie, any decision that would bar Lazear from playing football has to come from the high school, which has not yet made a decision. "It would not be a responsible move on [Whitman High's] part to make a decision when they don't even know for sure what happened," he said.
Lazear has athletic scholarship offers from 20 different colleges and universities, including many Division 1 schools such as the University of Maryland, and it remains to be seen if any of these schools will withdraw their offers due to the criminal charges.
Lazear had said he expects the charges alone, without a conviction, could cost him. "I'm sure some colleges will revoke [their offers], but I don't know if all of them will."
News of the allegations came as a shock to many who knew Patrick Lazear prior to the robbery.
"Yes it was a surprise to the school because these students have never been a discipline issue here at school," said Alan Goodwin, principal of Whitman High.
"He's [Lazear] a really good person, very helpful guy," noted a Whitman High football player who did not wish to be named.
Annie Austin one of the few students to speak on the record had a different opinion. "Our overall opinion of [Lazear] has dropped considerably."
 
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BSB $

By BK...Pat says he is focused on Ohio State and Alabama, with OSU out in front.

No word on the legal issues, but the offer list in the Rivals database is impressive (OSU, Alabama, Georgia, Maryland, NC State, Oklahoma, Pitt, etc.)
 
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Due to the serious nature of the crime, the DA is charging him as an adult. There's no "straightening out his life" and "getting back on track" after committing armed robbery.
 
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This afternoon, I have had to delete two inappropriate comments concerning Mr. Lazear. The next one gets a warning.

In this forum, we do not bash recruits, regardless of what they have done, or in Mr. Lazear's case, what they have merely been accused of.

In addition, we have language restrictions in this forum which prohibit the use of all swear words, racial slurs, sexual references, and other unacceptable remarks. Again, warnings will be issued for failure to abide by this rule.

Thanks you for your cooperation.
 
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Washington Post

6/18

4 Whitman Athletes Indicted

By Josh Barr
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, June 16, 2006; Page E12

A Montgomery County grand jury yesterday indicted four athletes and one other student from Whitman High School on charges of armed robbery and conspiracy to commit robbery in connection with a March 30 robbery of the Smoothie King store in downtown Bethesda, Montgomery County State's Attorney Douglas F. Gansler announced.
Thomas Ashley, Alex Krouskas, Pat Lazear, Justin Schweiger and Robert Warren -- all 17 years old and rising high school seniors -- could face trial in Montgomery County Circuit Court in coming months. Police allege Warren, armed with a gun, entered the Smoothie King -- where Krouskas was one of two employees working -- and robbed the store of $463 before getting into a car driven by Lazear with Schweiger and Ashley as passengers.

"Not unexpected," said David Driscoll, Warren's attorney. "This is a case where I have a continuing dialogue with the prosecutor handling it and it's just another step in the process."
If found guilty on both counts, the charges carry a maximum of 20 years in jail.
Ashley, Lazear, Schweiger and Warren were members of the Whitman football and wrestling teams this past school year. Lazear, an All-Met linebacker, is considered one of the Washington area's top high school prospects and has several football scholarship offers.
 
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"I think children are often guilty of youthful indiscretions, and they make mistakes,'' said Pat Elder, the parent of a freshman at the school.


That's your problem...

If someone had gotten shot, I shudder to think what would have been said...WTF?
 
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BSB $

6/29/06

By Adam Jardy...Pat talks about what he is looking for in a school and staff and about his communication with the OSU staff. He says no schools have revoked their offers as a result of his legal troubles. He is planning to decide between OSU and Alabama.
 
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