A couple of weeks ago, RB Mario Pender was dismissed from the Florida State Football team for being a completely terrible human being. You do not ever hit a woman. EVER! No excuse for it. Jimbo Fisher as per usual did the right thing! With this dismissal, it did seem like a perfect time though to bring up the perception of Florida State Athletics to the country at large though.
There is a myth around college sports in general and especially Florida State Athletics when it comes to a culture problem. That being said, I do realize that Florida State has its issues and some things do need to tighten up. However, every issue at Florida State is completely overblown (other than when a serious crime actually happens and each time that player is dismissed!) and more reflective of the population at large. After reading this piece, you will see where I and so many other Seminoles are coming from.
First, this is nothing new, this myth it has been talked about since the early 90s and as early as I can remember liking football. You remember Free Shoes University? That's what Gator fans used to call us over a minor issue and when we started to become public enemy #1. The scandal was that agents bought $6,000 worth of Free Shoes for players. That seems like small potatoes today, but at the time was one of the biggest scandals ever, for some reason. Think of how many shoes athletes today get for free and tell me again how this is a huge deal. Also just try and tell me about a college kid that would turn down free shoes....I'll wait....
Oh, by the way one of those players that was linked to the free shoes scandal was Derrick Brooks. That guy, went on to become NFL Man of the Year. Derrick Brooks is regarded as one of the greatest humanitarians in the history of the league. He recently helped start a charter school here in Tampa. Brooks is well known for numerous charitable efforts. This is one of the greatest people to ever play football and he played at Florida State. While here, he was linked to that huge "scandal." I think we know that came out okay and any school would love to have Derrick Brooks as an ambassador for their program. The former linebacker now serves on Florida State's board of trustees.
Okay, so one good guy went to Florida State, so what?
Well, another NFL Man of the Year went to Florida State and played on the same team as Brooks. Warrick Dunn is that man who many would say is one of the best people in this country, not football players, but people. As of October 2015, Warrick Dunn had quietly given away 145 homes to single mothers. This dude dedicates his life towards providing a better life for single parents. I sure wish we had more ambassadors for college football programs like Florida State has in Warrick Dunn and Derrick Brooks.
The fantastic people to come out of Florida State does not end there....
Florida State has produced more NFL Men of the Year than any other school. This past year, Anquan Boldin, became the 3rd Seminole to win the Award. A school with a "culture problem" somehow managed to produce the most people worthy of being the greatest humanitarian in the NFL for that season. My favorite current football player won this award for the incredible amount that he does for his community. Sure is incredible since his school has such great culture problems,
So what?
You have 3 fantastic people that have come out of the school. That does not erase all the bad stuff they have done. Okay, let's look at every little issue since the "free shoes." We already talked about that issue already.
Randy Moss never played a game for Florida State. The school decided to give him a second chance after he was kicked off the team at Notre Dame, but he was unable to ever suit up for the Noles and was kicked out of the school after failing a drug test.
September 29, 1999, Laveranues Coles and Peter Warrick received $412.38 clothing for $21.40 after a friend of theirs illegally discounted the clothes. While obviously we all see this as horrible, I can see how a college kid sees nothing wrong with this. Warrick was suspended until the end of the investigation (2 games) while Coles was kicked off the team. The media would have you believe it is a double standard and that Warrick got special treatment Coles did not. What they won't report is that Coles was already on probation from the team for previous academic and legal issues. To that point Warrick had made no mistakes and 2 games seemed an adequate consequence for a college kid.
Travis Johnson in 2003 was accused of sexual battery by a female athlete. An all female jury acquitted Johnson after less than 30 minutes of deliberation. The case was pursued all the way to court though by State Attorney Willie Meggs.
Adrian McPherson tried to write a check to his friend forging someone else's name on November 18, 2002. Immediately upon hearing about the situation, Bobby Bowden kicked McPherson off the team. He was arrested and charged with felony grand theft on November 27. This was their starting QB and a guy that was 3-0 before his poor choice. McPherson was then charged with gambling in 2003 and bounced between the arena league and the NFL bench. Having nothing to do with this story, McPherson is currently the starting QB for the Toronto Argonauts in the CFL.
AJ Nicholson was removed from the roster for the bowl game against Penn State in the 2006 Orange Bowl. The suspension was for an alleged sexual assault at the team hotel. When asked about the incident, Joe Paterno said "a pretty girl comes to your room, what are you supposed to do?" That quote by JoePa should tell you all you need to know about Bowden v. Paterno.
The Seminoles had an athletic cheating scandal across multiple sports that rocked the athletic department in 2007. What most people don't tell you though here is that it was an academic tutor that provided the athletes the benefits. The athletes were immediately suspended. There was also no coach that had any knowledge of wrongdoing. Most important to realize though is that FSU self reported the violation to the NCAA and enacted scholarship restrictions on their own! Quite embarrassing that this happened at all, but I am proud that the university took the accountability up themselves and self reported. They enacted some consequence on the athletic department immediately.
Preston Parker was kicked off the team due to legal issues.
Greg Reid was kicked off the team due to legal issues.
Greg Dent was kicked off the team due to legal issues.
Jimbo Fisher has kicked off every person that has had serious legal issues. He has let investigations finished when we did not know all the facts. Fisher also maintained that his players were innocent until proven guilty. Fisher has run a clean program and never had a team put on probation.
So let's be honest about what this is about. You people hate Jameis Winston and think he got away with something.
Let's take a look at Mr. Winston's past then.....
Jameis Winston became public enemy in 2013 when he was accused of rape. Almost a full year after the alleged rape actually happened and multiple extortion attempts. Jameis has not been charged by anyone that has reviewed this case. Not FSUPD, not TPD, not the state attorney, not a former supreme court justice in the state. He was not only never convicted of this alleged crime. He was not even charged with wrongdoing at all in this case. Not even in a code of conduct hearing by one of the most respected justices in Florida history. A judge that was chosen in agreement by the accuser.
There is other stuff he did though!
Sure, Jameis Winston shot BB guns, got a hookup at Publix for crabs that went wrong, and cursed in public. A college kid did college things. I have friends all across the country going to different schools, this stuff happens every hour on college campuses. Does not excuse what happened, but let's not crucify the guy. He was suspended for the crab legs and did community service and was suspended for cursing. Let it be. The guy has NEVER BEEN ARRESTED OR CHARGED. There are a lot worse characters than Jameis Winston playing this great game.
To assume some massive conspiracy involving Winston and/or FSU is insulting to far too many well respected and honorable people. You can believe FSU athletics, FSUPD, TPD, the State Attorney's office, justices, and lawyers all over the state or you can believe someone that changed her account multiple times and tried to extort money from Mr. Winston. Hopefully, you don't choose the latter.
Karlos Williams was another name frequently mentioned by the media. He was allegedly involved in a domestic abuse complaint, but no charges were filed and thus the case was dropped. Williams was also mentioned in some drug case, but it was only as some guy that the guilty guy knew. I know a few people from my HS that got arrested and are thus guilty too, we all do. This does not mean that Williams should be accountable for that in any way.
Dalvin Cook was accused of assaulting a woman outside of a club. However, after an incredibly suspect 911 tape was released and all the proof leading toward the woman lying, Dalvin Cook was declared not guilty in the court of law during a very short trial.
Shortly before the Cook situation arose, backup QB De'Andre Johnson was dismissed from the football team. Video was released of Johnson assaulting a female at a nightclub and he was dismissed immediately after proof of guilt.
And now, the Mario Pender issue happened. This is a very detailed history of the issues with Florida State Football Players, but let's not forget two important things....
1) State Attorney William Meggs
Meggs is well known as being a no nonsense district attorney that will prosecute to the furthest extent of the law. He also has a reputation as being more difficult on those involved with Florida State Athletics than the general population. Despite this though, critics will have you assume that Meggs covered up for the Seminoles and especially for Jameis Winston during his time as district attorney. Ignore the countless times he has tried to take down Seminole athletes, he is obviously a plant by the athletic department. That is why he pursued a rape charge against Travis Johnson with no evidence of wrongdoing, correct? Maybe he didn't pursue the case against Winston because Jameis is 100% innocent and even he realized any attempt to pursue the case would be futile.
2) No Seminoles Ever in Trouble in the League
Isn't it amazing that a team with this much alleged protection in Tallahassee and so many players drafted, never has an alumni with issues in the league. These guys are never in trouble outside of Tallahassee. Seriously, never! If the protection is so great, they'd have to get in trouble somewhere once they left that protection and enabled behavior. There are no cases though were Seminoles get into trouble in the league. Unless you count Randy Moss who never played a game for FSU or RB Sammie Smith who was drafted way back in 1989 there have been zero discipline issues involving people that came from FSU's program once they left FSU.
The facts are quite the opposite of what you would think of a school with a "culture problem." Instead of getting into trouble, FSU football players are winning awards for community service. If FSU has a "culture problem", I know a few other schools that could use a "culture problem." Let's help these other schools develop the incredible human beings that Florida State does.
In the interest of full disclosure before uncovering this information I will give my background and admit some bias (which most non-Seminoles do not do). I am a Florida State alum. I graduated in 2009 with a degree in Sports Management and came back to the school to get my Masters in Physical Education in 2011. Additionally, I met my wife at Florida State and that has just added to the fact that the school has held a special place in my heart my entire life. Now, knowing full well that I have been a Seminole fan my entire life and by reading this article, you can see things through my perspective.
-Noland
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