Texas A&M WR cites 'jock itch' as primary defense in indecent exposure case

There’s not much worse than jock itch. It cracks and cuts and burns and bites and can go so far as to make one want to pull down their pants and just get that itch out wherever they may be, even in public.

Said no one ever.

Well, OK, said one person ever.

Texas A&M wide receiver and Oregon transfer Kirk Merritt has asked for a delay of arraignment in his indecent exposure trial Friday as first reported by the Houston Chronicle.

The 20-year old was arrested November 8 for exposing himself to two separate tutors in the Bright Football Complex at Texas A&M on two consecutive days.

The alleged incidents occurred around October 24.

Merritt pled not guilty to both of the charges March 27, but his attorney Rick Davis asked for the delay of arraignment in the case.

"This objection is not solely for delay but so that justice may be done,” Davis wrote in a statement.

Since his arrest November 8 Merritt has been participating in Texas A&M spring practice. He was a four-star recruit coming out of Destrehan, La.

Merritt maintains that he was not attempting to expose or touch himself around the accusers in question. He was just dealing with an unfortunate problem.

“While Kirk is very embarrassed about this situation, and has apologized to the two tutors that he offended, he did not intend to gratify anyone by exposing himself,” Davis continued in his statement. “The fact is that Kirk had a bad case of jock itch.

“The statute Kirk has been accused of violating requires that the Defendant have an intent to arouse or gratify the sexual desire of any person and that the Defendant is reckless about whether another may be present who will be offended or alarmed by his conduct.

“We think that Kirk's conduct falls squarely under the Disorderly Conduct statute, Section 42.01(10) of the Texas Penal Code (which is a Class C misdemeanor). That statute requires only that a Defendant is reckless about whether another may be present who will be offended or alarmed by his act."