Penn State Football Player Accused of Punching Man in the Face at Fraternity House

A Penn State football player was charged on Wednesday with two misdemeanors after he allegedly punched a man in the face at a State College fraternity house in February.

Theo J. Johnson, a rising junior tight end, refused to leave a Feb. 11 event at the fraternity on the 400 block of East Prospect Avenue after residents saw he was not wearing a required wristband, according to an affidavit of probable cause filed by State College police.

Surveillance video showed Johnson punched the man who approached him about leaving in the face and multiple witnesses identified Johnson by name, police wrote.

The man was diagnosed with a concussion at Mount Nittany Medical Center. His sunglasses, valued at $565, were broken when Johnson punched him, according to the affidavit.

Johnson was charged by summons with one count each of simple assault and criminal mischief. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for May 24.

“We are aware of the charges against Theo Johnson,” Penn State Athletics spokesperson Kris Petersen said. “These alleged actions do not reflect the values and standards of our program and will be addressed. We will not comment any further as this is an ongoing legal matter.”

The 22-year-old Johnson was Penn State’s fifth-leading receiver during his sophomore season in 2022, when he caught 20 passes for 328 yards and four touchdowns, and has been expected to take on a bigger role this fall. He did not play in the Blue-White game on April 15.