They once scored TDs for the Sooners. Now they're headed to prison boot camp
NORMAN — Two former University of Oklahoma football players, wide receiver Trejan Bridges and running back Mikey Henderson, pleaded guilty Friday to larceny from a person at nighttime.
They had been charged with robbery, conspiracy to commit robbery and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. Sentencing was set for Jan. 3.
They were ordered to participate before then in the Oklahoma Department of Corrections' Regimented Inmate Discipline (RID) program. They were handcuffed together in court and taken to jail to await transfer.
Cleveland County District Judge Thad Balkman said the boot camp-like program is not easy. He indicated he will show leniency at sentencing if they complete the program without issue.
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"It will test you. It will test you immensely," he told Henderson. "Your liberty is at stake."
The judge could impose up to 10 years in prison on the felony charge. Prosecutors still could dismiss their cases if they successfully finish the program. Prosecutors also could agree to a type of probation that would leave them with no felony conviction.
What to know about the case
Bridges and running back Seth McGowan were charged in May 2021 after a 911 caller reported to police they robbed him of marijuana at his Norman apartment.
The victim reported Bridges pointed a gun at him and threatened to kill him during the April 15, 2021, incident, police said.
The victim also reported he was beaten and a third man took jewelry, high-dollar shoes and cash from his bedroom. Henderson was charged in July 2021 after further investigation.
The guilty pleas came at a courthouse that is only a mile north of the OU stadium.
Bridges and Henderson admitted Friday to larceny, rather than robbery, after their attorneys reached plea deals with prosecutors. The robbery count had to be changed to larceny for them to be eligible for the RID program. The other counts against them were dismissed.
District Attorney Greg Mashburn said McGowan, 21, is getting a similar deal and will go into the RID program next year.
Bridges, now 22, was a five-star recruit from Carrollton, Texas. He had seven catches for 82 yards and two touchdowns during his freshman season in 2019. He was suspended before the Peach Bowl after testing positive for marijuana.
He played only in the Big 12 Championship and the Cotton Bowl his sophomore season because of the suspension.
Henderson, now 21, was a former four-star recruit who had 249 total yards and two touchdowns as a freshman in 2020. He has been living in Fort Worth, Texas, according to his plea paperwork.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Two former OU football players plead guilty to felony larceny charge
