Former Texas high school football star accused in his baby’s death

A former Arlington High School running back who held records for rushing and scoring was in the Tarrant County Jail on Wednesday night facing a murder charge in the death of his 6-week-old daughter, according to law enforcement.

Tavarreon Dickerson, 22, was booked into the jail at 3:36 a.m. on a “fugitive hold” related to a felony warrant in the baby’s death in Tulsa, Okla., a Tarrant County sheriff’s deputy said.

The Tulsa County Sheriff’s Department issued a warrant for Dickerson’s arrest Monday, four months after Raylie, 6 weeks old, was found unresponsive on Jan. 10 at Dickerson’s home in Tulsa, the Tulsa World reported.

Dickerson told investigators that his daughter couldn’t sleep so he brought her to a couch, where she slept beside him, the World reported. But an autopsy showed that she died from impact trauma.

The Tulsa police child crisis unit received the medical examiner’s report April 28.

Arlington police arrested Dickerson on Monday.

Dickerson grew up in Arlington. He finished his Arlington High football career in 2011 as an all-time rushing leader with 4,400 yards and was the school’s record-holder for rushing touchdowns with 53 touchdowns.

He was voted Associated Press second-team All State in 2011 as a senior running back with 1,862 yards and 25 rushing touchdowns.

At the University of Tulsa in 2014, where he majored in management, he rushed for 132 yards on 34 carries in the eight games he played. Injuries limited his playing time, according to the Tulsa Hurricane, the university’s athletics page.

He was a running back there through the end of the 2015 season.

His family did not return calls seeking comment Wednesday night.

This story was originally published May 5, 2016 at 12:29 AM with the headline "Former Texas high school football star accused in his baby’s death."