Former Starting TE Graham Faces Gun Charge

Posted May 22, 2008 by Aaron Knox

Updated May 22, 2008 at 03:49 PM

Tight end Charlie Graham’s quest to rejoin Florida State’s football team has a new wrinkle other than whether he can regain his academic eligibility.

Graham has a court date next month to face a misdemeanor charge of unlawfully discharging a firearm within city limits.

According to Tallahassee Police Department spokesperson David McCranie, the incident happened Friday night outside Graham’s residence in a story posted on Tallahassee television station WCTV’s Web site. Graham reportedly fired off a couple of shots into the air from his legally possessed firearm, causing a concerned neighbor to call police.

Once police arrived, Graham was reportedly cooperative and turned over the handgun to police until he faces the charge.

Graham started 10 of 12 games last season, catching 11 passes for 84 yards and one touchdown. He was ruled academically ineligible prior to the Music City Bowl and transferred to Tallahassee Community College in the spring in a bid to regain his eligibility at FSU this fall.

An FSU athletic department official said that as of Thursday morning, Graham was not enrolled at FSU and that his status for the upcoming season remains uncertain.

Graham’s gun charge comes in the wake of star receiver Preston Parker’s highly-publicized arrest on gun and drug charges in Palm Beach County last month. Parker reached a plea agreement Monday that allowed him to return to FSU on athletic probation.