USC Journalism Students Arrested For Stealing NFL Draft Jerseys, Get Busted At Airport

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Two USC journalism students traveled to Kansas City to cover the 2023 NFL Draft on the university's dime and decided to get into some extracurriculars in the form of stealing jerseys.

According to the Los Angeles Times, Eric Lambkins II and Jude Ocanas, were at the NFL Draft to cover the event for the student-run news outlet Annenberg Media. The two were spotted on a security camera after 1:00 AM on Friday morning, the day after Thursday's first round, in the "talent waiting room."

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The report states that the two stole jerseys from various teams with the No. 1 printed on the back with no last names that were designated to be given to first-round selections. The two students stole jerseys from the San Francisco 49ers, Dallas Cowboys, and Minnesota Vikings valued at over $1,000.

USC's school of journalism reportedly funded the students' trip to Kansas City.

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Two USC students were arrested for stealing first-round NFL Draft jerseys in Kansas City. (Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

It was obviously a dumb move by the two students and they were rightfully arrested, but the police report stated that the jerseys have "a very sentimental meaning" despite the fact that the jerseys had no use for the remainder of the NFL Draft given the first round had already wrapped up.

Ocana and Lambkins II were arrested shortly before boarding a flight back to Los Angeles, where the Cowboys and 49ers jerseys were found in their possession.

“While limited by student privacy laws in what we can share, we are cooperating with the authorities in this matter and will follow our internal processes with respect to any allegations of misconduct,” USC said in a statement.

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Mark covers all sports at OutKick while keeping a close eye on the world of professional golf. He graduated from the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga before earning his master's degree in journalism from the University of Tennessee, but wants it on the record that he does not bleed orange. Before joining OutKick, he wrote for various outlets, including BroBible, SB Nation, and The Spun. Mark also wrote for the Chicago Cubs' Double-A affiliate in 2016, the year the curse was broken. Follow him on Twitter @itismarkharris.