Boubacar Cissoko's fall from grace is now officially complete.
A year ago at this time he was getting ready for football season and preparing to be one of Michigan's top cornerbacks. Just months later he found himself off the team after violating rules by reportedly missing class, study tables and workouts on a regular basis. The door for a return was left open by Rich Rodriguez if Cissoko buckled down and got things in order, but that opportunity quickly went away after he was cited for driving with an invalid or improper license and then later was arrested for a marijuana-related offense.
Months later, Cissoko was still getting in trouble, although his offenses were getting progressively worse.
"I had a pellet gun, when he pulled up in the back of the building," Cissoko, 22, testified about robbing a taxicab driver April 18 in Ann Arbor. "I put the gun in his face.
"I looked at his face. He was really scared," he testified, about deciding to abort the robbery. "Then, I left on my own free will."
Advertisement
Charged originally with attempting to rob the driver while armed, Cissoko pled guilty to a lesser charge of assault with intent to rob, which carries a 15-year sentence. He also admitted three charges of larceny from a person. Cissoko testified that he lured pizza and sandwich delivery men to his door in Ann Arbor March 13 and snatched wads of cash from their hands, as they made change for his purchase. The third larceny occurred in Ypsilanti, when Cissoko snatched cash from another cabbie.
Cissoko plead guilty to a total of four robbery charges on Wednesday and faces a maximum of 45 years in jail. He likely won't end up being sentenced to quite that much, but one thing is for sure: Cissoko's life has gone off the tracks and he needs some serious help to get things in order. He already threw away one great opportunity by getting booted from the Michigan football team, and now he is on the verge of throwing his entire life away.