Carnell Hopson (Credit: Georgia State University Athletics)
ATLANTA - A former Georgia State University football player faces assault charges following a dining hall attack, prompting his family to speak out about his long-standing battle with severe mental health issues and suspected football-related brain trauma.
What we know:
A dining hall worker mistakenly let former GSU student-athlete Carnell Earnest Hopson inside through an employee entrance at Piedmont Central Dining Hall around 3 a.m. Wednesday.
Staff and students realized Hopson did not belong after seeing him eat a plate of food, leading an employee known as "Unc" to ask him to leave.
Chaos broke out as Hopson hit the employee with a metal chair, leaving the worker covered in blood before running from the building.
RELATED: Man attacks GSU employee with chair inside campus dining hall
GSU police caught Hopson minutes later, and he remains held in the Fulton County Jail on charges of aggravated assault, simple battery, disorderly conduct and criminal trespass.
Carnell Ernest Hopson (Credit: Fulton County Sheriff's Office)
What they're saying:
Hopson joined Georgia State's football program in 2013 as a freshman defensive lineman, playing four years and graduating from the university.
The university's athletics website confirms Hopson was on the team's roster in 2016.
In a public statement, his family revealed that Hopson began showing serious behavioral, emotional and cognitive changes during his playing career that have progressively worsened over eight years.
Family members noted they have spent thousands of dollars on treatment, housing and legal needs while navigating limited mental health resources in Georgia.
They suspect his symptoms stem from repeated head trauma and possible Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) from his years playing contact sports.
Hopson's family urged the public and media to look beyond headlines labeling him merely as a homeless intruder.
"Carnell is a son, brother, uncle, college graduate, former Division I football player, and a person who has been struggling with serious mental and behavioral health issues for years," the family wrote, adding that he had recently registered to pursue another degree at GSU.
The family's full letter is below.
The other side:
GSU Police Chief Anthony Coleman noted that no security protocol was breached during the incident.
Chief Coleman explained that an employee made a mistake letting Hopson inside, and dining staff members have since gone through additional safety protocol training.
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Downtown Atlanta brawl erupts inside campus hall
Georgia State University police arrested a homeless man after an employee mistakenly allowed him into a downtown Atlanta campus dining hall, triggering a violent brawl where students intervened to protect a chef.
What we don't know:
Police have not released the identity or current medical condition of the injured worker, though officials confirmed he is recovering at home.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from a public statement issued by the family of Carnell Hopson, as well as official statements and incident reports provided by Georgia State University Police Chief Anthony Coleman.