NIU football player Brett Tucker is facing charges for an Oct. 1 fistfight at McCabe’s bar. The plea hearing will be Oct. 21.

Thomas Lee, Arizona, is pressing charges for “reimbursement of medical bills” resulting from the fight. Lee, who allegedly suffered a blow to the mouth from Tucker, was taken to Kishwaukee Community Hospital where he was treated and released with seven stitches in his lip.

Tucker was arrested for battery and released on $100 bond. He received a one-game suspension from the football team (Oct. 8 against Toledo) as a disciplinary measure from NIU coach Jerry Pettibone.

“I’m not trying to go after him (Tucker), and I’m not looking for him to be suspended from the team or to spend time in jail,” Lee said, “It’s just that a lot of the money to cover the stitches and medical bills is coming out of my pocket. I think he should take care of what happened.”

Lee said if Tucker is found innocent, a civil suit will be filed and the case will be pursued.

The NIU cornerback said he anticipated the possibility of the charges and has “prepared and talked to many legal people” about the measures he should take.

Lee, who was unavailable for comment for the article in the Oct. 3 issue of The Northern Star, said he disagreed with Tucker’s statements concerning the fistfight.

Tucker told the Star the fight started from a misunderstanding and there was some pushing and exchanging of words but it “definitely was not my fault.” Tucker said he was “provoked and pushed to a limit” and it came down to a matter of “defending myself and my pride.”

While Lee agreed there was some pushing involved, he claims it was one-sided and denies any aggression on his part. Lee said his being under 21 years old and in the bar was beside the point because “that’s a separate case.”

“I was standing there and I got bumped from behind, so I turned around and asked ‘what’s going on?'”

“The next thing I knew, he (Tucker) hit me. I grabbed him to prevent him from swinging anymore, and we fell to the ground. I was too worried about what was wrong with my face to think about throwing punches.

“Outside of me asking what was going on, there were no words. It happened so fast I couldn’t even tell what he (Tucker) looked like until we got outside McCabe’s.

“I did not provoke and I did not push. Why would I start something in a bar when I know I can get in trouble (for being underage)? I know it was wrong being in the bar, but you don’t physically harm somebody like that.”

Although Tucker said he is a “party-goer and a bar-goer”, he said he has “kept trouble-free in worse situations.” Although Tucker admitted he hit Lee and that it was wrong to hit him, he seems to hold no grudges.

“I’m sure that if Tom and I talked now, I think we’d say we were sorry and get straightened out,” Tucker said.