Alabama Crimson Tide AD Mal Moore releases statement on player arrests

Alabama athletic director Mal Moore issued a statement on Tuesday regarding the arrests of four freshman members of the Crimson Tide. (Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports)

On Monday evening, four highly-regarded members of the Alabama Crimson Tide football program were arrested on charges of second-degree robbery and fraudulent use of a credit card.

[Related: In-depth report on the arrest of the four Alabama players in question.]

The players were all released, but only after posting a substantial bail. Athletic director Mal Moore and his staff at first refused to comment on the matter. However, on early Tuesday afternoon Moore himself delivered a succinct statement on the matter of the arrests, according to AL.com.

“This is a very serious matter and we are very disappointed in the actions that have resulted in the charges against these student-athletes. In this type of situation, the Athletics Department works in conjunction with the University. We will have more to say at the appropriate time.”

It remains to be seen whether the four players involved — running back Brent Calloway, linebacker Tyler Hayes, defensive lineman D.J. Pettway and defensive back Eddie Williams — will remain with the program.

All face felony charges, and Williams faces multiple. His Monday arrest was his second in two days, as he was also brought in on Sunday for illegally possessing a pistol.

There may be no other choice than to kick these players off the team. It would be a huge loss, as Pettway was named to the All-SEC freshman team, Williams was a five-star recruit primed for bigger minutes as a sophomore, and Hayes made two tackles in the BCS national title game as a frosh himself.

WHAT DO YOU THINK: Should Jadeveon Clowney sit out his junior season to prepare for the 2014 NFL Draft?

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