And FSU wants to fix that.
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In a statement sent to the Tallahassee Democrat, FSU athletic director Stan Wilcox outlined a multifaceted effort to better educate Florida State athletes so they can better represent the school. The program takes heed of recommendations from FSU president John Thrasher, then goes a step further. And for good reason.
The litany of off-field issues goes beyond the high-profile, poorly handled rape investigation that surrounded former FSU quarterback Jameis Winston. Or De’Andre Johnson’s dismissal arising from video that showed him punching a woman. Or similar allegations surrounding Dalvin Cook. According to arrestnation.com, 21 separate arrests have occurred in the past five years involving Florida State football players. That number becomes more striking when taken alongside an ESPN Outside the Lines report that outlined a criminal justice system in Tallahassee that disproportionately protects FSU athletes.
Florida State, the report found, had the most allegations of sexual assault and violence against women of any school in the study.
So what’s FSU’s solution? For one, the school will make good on Thrasher’s promise to create coursework that educates FSU athletes on how to be productive, not destructive, citizens.
The football team, Wilcox told the Democrat, will also advocate for the “Pass the Peace” campaign — a social media-driven, national campaign helmed by Seahawks’ quarterback Russell Wilson, benefiting the National Domestic Violence Hotline.
FSU will also host a speaker series to address issues that have touched the football program in recent years. Wilcox’s statement outlined the series, some of which has already taken place:
Florida State plays its first game on Saturday, Sept. 5 against Texas State. Between speaker series and season’s start, Cook will go to court; his trial date is Aug. 24.
