Drug charges against Ball State men's volleyball player Kenny Cook, who had been arrested for possession of marijuana and cocaine, and maintaining a common nuisance, were dropped last week.
The sophomore, who was arrested in a raid along with two other Ball State students on the evening of Feb. 15 at his residence of 720 W. Centennial Ave., was soon released on $10,000 bond. He is currently practicing with the team again and is living at a different residence.
"It felt good," said Cook, who was informed of the news by his attorney Thursday. "This was vindication. It's hard to really explain how I felt, because this was something you don't really expect. For it to be over, that's all I care about. I can get back to normal life."
Men's volleyball head coach Joel Walton said that although Cook is practicing again, it is not clear whether he will be allowed to play in this weekend's matches.
"We haven't sat and talked with the ADs about everything," he said. "We're trying to find a time when we can decide how we want to move forward with this.
"I'm really glad the charges were dropped. He's a good kid who seemed to be in the wrong place at the wrong time."
Cook said that his teammates have been supportive throughout the process.
"They're incredible," he said. "We're like brothers. They believed in me from the beginning. Everyone was coming up and saying 'we know this isn't Kenny.' That meant a lot.
"The police dusted and checked, and found I didn't have any involvement. They went about their search and did what they had to do. The fact that it's over, it's a load off our chest."
Although Cook said he doesn't know how the administration will react to the incident, the Cardinals' outside attacker liked his chances of being allowed to play again.
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