Jason Berryman has played his final game in a Cyclone uniform. This isn’t an indefinite suspension. There is no chance of a Michael Jordan-esque third go-round. This is as final as three zeros on the clock. And there is no overtime.

I want to feel bad for Berryman. He’s a guy who apparently got caught in the wrong place at the wrong time, and was cited for an ordinary act of “being on the premises underage.” Not that big of deal. There may be more to it, we may never really know. I’m sure you or someone you know has received a similar citation. And we all know an occasional person who gets into bars underage. It happens every night in Campustown. Most of the time you pay your $150 fine, wait a few weeks and try again, or wait for your 21st birthday. In Berryman’s case, his 21st birthday is only two-and-a-half weeks away. I’m guessing his party will be a little less enthusiastic with the recent events.

Again, I want to feel bad for Berryman. I really do. But, it’s hard to have any sympathy for a guy that was given so many opportunities. His first strike involved a fist and a car window. Strike two involved a fist, a face, a cell phone and some cash. I, along with many Cyclone fans, would never have thought he would receive a third strike. Well, Berryman threw us a curve ball and we were caught with our knees buckled.

I thought I knew Jason Berryman. We all did, including the coaches. He wasn’t a bad guy; he was by no means a “thug.” He was just a 20-year-old kidwho made a couple of mistakes and paid with 258 days in state prison. Try going through that. I can’t even imagine it. He deserved another shot for redemption. We all tried to convince ourselves. No, he’s a changed man – he will be a model citizen for years to come.

Maybe we were all trying to trick ourselves. The fact is, athletes of his caliber step on this campus once every 10 years. Coach Dan McCarney knew that, the other players knew that, the fans did as well. You tend to make excuses for guys who can win you ball games. And for six months, Berryman was a great success story. He battled back from the scout team to start in the opener. The coaches went on and on about his character. He wore his old number 84 and grabbed his first career interception against Illinois State. And he was a great success in the classroom, as well. By all accounts, he was a fantastic teammate, leading with his tremendous work ethic. Bad guys don’t do that, do they? We had all but written the TV movie of his salvation. This, of course, was capped off with his MVP performance in his hometown during the Houston Bowl. It made for a thrilling finale.

Little did we know how final that game would be. We will always have two opinions of Berryman: The fantastic athlete and the young man who couldn’t steer clear of trouble. Nobody really knew the true Jason Berryman. For Jason’s sake, let’s hope he figures it out.

– Brent Blum is a junior in journalism and mass communication from Urbandale.