FAYETTEVILLE -- The UA professor who was arrested after he hurled profane insults at Coach Bret Bielema following the Razorbacks' 49-30 loss to No. 1 Alabama took a step toward mending fences on Monday afternoon.
"I embarrassed myself, the college and the university," Lawton Lanier Nalley wrote in a statement distributed by the university. "I hold myself to higher standards and have no excuses for my actions. I especially want to apologize to Coach [Bret] Bielema."
Nalley, 37, was arrested by UA police and charged with public intoxication and disorderly conduct for shouting obscenities from the lower stands in the northwest corner of Reynolds Razorback Stadium as Bielema and the Arkansas team headed toward the Broyles Athletic Center.
Nalley, an assistant professor of agricultural economics and agribusiness, was approached by police and continued with his rant, according to the UA police report. Media who were nearby reported that Nalley shouted he would be "f * * * * * * fired" if he had Bielema's record, which is now 22-22 in his fourth year at Arkansas.
Bielema said Monday at his weekly noon news conference that he had not heard anything more from Nalley, but he played off the incident with a touch of humor.
"I get a lot of things yelled at me," Bielema said. "I was halfway impressed he said my name correctly. So he must be probably somewhat in the loop.
"I do a lot of stuff on campus every year. I think he's in the Ag school. I've done a couple of talks over there. I guess I probably won't be invited to speak in his classroom."
Lona Robertson, the interim dean of the Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences, also released a statement through the university.
"We have reviewed this situation and are very disappointed by Dr. Nalley's actions, which were highly inappropriate," Robertson wrote. "Dr. Nalley is remorseful for what occurred. He is respected for his teaching and research, and has been an asset to the Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness, and the college. Taking all this into consideration, we are moving forward with appropriate measures to address the matter with Dr. Nalley, who remains employed by the University."
Nalley is a Georgia native who has received degrees from Ohio State, Mississippi State and Kansas State, according to his official faculty page. He is scheduled for a hearing in Fayetteville District court on Nov. 11.
Sports on 10/11/2016