Bears' 1st Round Pick Enis Accused
Chicago Bears first-round draft pick Curtis Enis has been accused of sexual assault and is the subject of a grand jury investigation, police confirmed Monday.
Sgt. Tim Kelly, the surpervisor of the Irving Police Department's crimes against persons division, confirmed that Enis is a suspect in a reported sexual assault.
A woman reported the alleged assault to police on May 30, Kelly said. Police referred the complaint to a Dallas County grand jury after the investigation yielded no physical evidence, he said.
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"This is one of those situations where it's a `He said-she said,'" Kelly said. "It was referred to the grand jury because of the lack of evidence one way or the other."
The grand jury returned the case to Irving police last week with a few questions, Kelly said. Those have been answered, and the case is now back with grand jurors.
"We're hoping the grand jury will subpoena the victim," Kelly said.
He declined to give specifics on the assault, citing the ongoing investigation.
"Mr. Enis has been very cooperative, and his attorneys have been very cooperative as well," Kelly said.
The former Penn State running back, the No. 5 overall selection in the April draft, has not yet signed a contract with the Bears, who are training in Platteville, Wis.
Enis could not be reached for comment and was said to be in the Dallas area, where he is holding out after rejecting a six-year, $13.2 million offer from the Bears.
"We were aware of what's going on," said Bears vice president for player personnel Mark Hatley. "We really don't have any comment on it at this time. It really won't affect negotiations."
Enis left Penn State a year early and turned pro after accepting more than $1,000 worth of clothing from a sports agent, a violation of NCAA rules.
He initially said a girlfriend bought him the clothes which he wore to an awards banquet. But he later admitted that Jeff Nalley, a Houston-based agent, paid for the clothing.
Enis, Penn State's leading rusher last season, was suspended for the Citrus Bowl, which the Nittany Lions lost to Florida. He announced he was turning pro shortly afterward.
Enis was third on Penn State's all-time rushing list with 3,256 yards.
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