Photo Credit: USA Today
Florida State University is no stranger to controversy. Last year, they had Jameis Winston who did end up getting drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Winston certainly had his fair share of scandals ranging from rape allegations to shoplifting to just plain being unprofessional. While Winston has seen moved on from this, it looks like the new quarterback has picked up where Winston left off.
FSU’s new quarterback, De’Andre Johnson was cited to be the follow-up to Winston. Johnson enrolled at FSU in January and had only played in the spring game. Unfortunately, Johnson is making an impression but not in the way he should be. Johnson was charged with battery which is a misdemeanor after being accused of hitting a woman at a bar even though Johnson is only 19 years old. While the video has just been released recently, Johnson was suspended indefinitely due to what head Coach Jimbo Fisher called, “a violation of athletic department policy”.
On July 6th however, the alleged video was released which showed exactly what had been described. Johnson and the female victim had a heated discussion, she raised her hand to defend herself and then Johnson proceeded to punch her in the face. After the charges were final and the video surfaced, FSU finally decided to completely dismiss Johnson from their program.
FSU President John Thrasher has released a statement in reference to Johnson’s dismissal saying, “I fully support Coach Fisher’s decisions to immediately suspend and subsequently dismiss De’Andre Johnson from the football team. While it is always important to adhere to due process, having now seen the physical altercation captured on video, there is no question in my mind that Coach Fisher made the correct decisions. I expect all students at Florida State University, including student-athletes, to adhere to the highest level of conduct. I have no tolerance for the kind of behavior exhibited in this case”. Thrasher’s full statement can be read here.
Right now, Johnson has not made any comments, but his attorney Jose Baez has made statements on his behalf, “While it is clear from the video that De’Andre Johnson was not the initial aggressor, his family wants to take the lead in helping him learn and grow from this experience. He is currently participating in community service, and faith-based programs focused on battered women, substance abuse, and the empowerment of children. De’Andre is extremely embarrassed by this situation and would like to express his heartfelt apologies to everyone, including those who were directly affected, Coach Fisher and his teammates, the entire Florida State University community, as well as his family and friends”. At this point, the female victim has not made any comments or statements released to the incident.
