Alabama Elijah Pritchett arrest charged allegedly

University of Alabama football player arrested for knowingly spreading STD, facing fines and jail time, granted youthful offender status.

University of Alabama football player Elijah Pritchett was arrested on Wednesday for knowingly spreading a sexually transmitted disease, a Class C misdemeanor that could result in fines and up to three months in jail. Pritchett was released on a $500 bond and granted youthful offender status, which allows him to plead down to a lighter sentence and seals the records of the case to the public.

The news of Pritchett's arrest comes as Alabama prepares to face the University of Michigan in the College Football Playoff on Jan. 1. The University has not made a public statement about Pritchett's arrest, and head coach Nick Saban is not scheduled for any media obligations until he gets to Pasadena for the Rose Bowl.

This is not Pritchett's first run-in with the law, as he was previously pulled over for speeding and pleaded guilty, completing community service and a defensive driving course to have the case dismissed. Despite these off-field issues, Pritchett has appeared in all 13 games this season for Alabama, serving in a reserve and special teams role.

Pritchett is the third Alabama football player to be arrested this year, adding to the team's off-field troubles. It remains to be seen what impact this will have on the team's performance in the upcoming playoff game.