$300,000 fine and 136 months in prison for Joe Krause: Is it the end of Kansas football player's career?
Joe Krause, a football player for the Kansas Jayhawks, is no longer with the team or university after being accused of issuing a bomb threat. Krause joined the team as a walk-on in 2020 and appeared in two games but has not played since.
Krause was initially arrested on July 24 on a charge of "aggravated criminal threat; cause terror, evacuation or disruption," according to the Douglas County Sheriff's Office.
University of Kansas Police Department interim deputy chief Damon Tucker announced that day that KU's Anderson Family Football Complex, Beatty Family Pavilion and David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium were all evacuated 'out of an abundance of caution'.
Per a KU Athletics spokesperson, Joe Krause is no longer a student at KU and he is no longer a member of the football team.
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The Kansas City Star reported that Krause was released on a $10,000 bail the following day after a video conference with a judge. They also obtained court records that state what he faces:
"a minimum of 31 months (two years, seven months) to a maxium of 136 months (11 years, four months) in prison and/or a fine of up to $300,000 and 24 months of post-release supervision." h/t Yahoo Sports
As of now, Krause or his representative has not addressed the charges or has given a motive for the incident.
So, is it the end of Joe Krause's football career?
It's now almost 100 percent certain that Joe Krause will not play another game of organized football again.
He was a walk-on for the Kansas Jayhawks, which is not a huge college football program. Krause did not have a memorable first few seasons, as he had not seen the field since two games during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic season.
If Krause faces any jail time, which is definitely on the table, his football career will likely end, as he would become toxic for any locker room. Right now, he's a net negative for the program. It's extremely difficult to pile on here, as we do not know the motive, and there could be some mental health issues going on.
At the moment, Joe Krause is not a student at any university, and his next assignment is figuring out how to avoid prison. He's facing some serious charges and hopefully, he could become a changed man from whatever caused the incident.
It's looking like the end of the road for the redshirt sophomore.