Former SEC football player charged in death of Georgia boy

LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. (AP) – Police have charged a former Southeastern Conference football player with killing a 4-year-old boy.

The Atlanta Journal Constitution (http://on-ajc.com/1EEwUeF ) reports that 26-year-old Steven Terrence Singleton, a former football player at Louisiana State University and the University of South Carolina, was booked Wednesday in Gwinnett County on charges of felony murder and cruelty to children.

Police say Singleton is accused of inflicting fatal brain injuries on his girlfriend’s son, Tye Hardin, at Singleton’s home in Lawrenceville on Saturday.

Gwinnett County police say Singleton ran from a bathroom to the living room after he heard a “thump,” then found Tye on the floor, unresponsive. Police said in a statement that Singleton also told officers he accidentally hit Tye’s head on a door frame while carrying the child to the bathroom.

It was unclear whether Singleton has a lawyer who could comment about the charges.