On Friday Florida State president John Thrasher issued a statement that called for head coach Jimbo Fisher to meet with the football program following a week of troubling headlines tied to the program. On Saturday Fisher did just that, issuing a ban on players attending bars in the process. On Monday, Thrasher took manners into his own hands and addressed the football program himself.
“In light of recent off-field incidents, I reiterated to our players that they simply cannot put themselves in situations that reflect poor behavior or cause harm to others,” a public statement from Thrasher read on Florida State’s official website after the meeting. “They must remember that playing football for FSU is a privilege, not a right. The actions of a few have the capacity to do serious damage to the reputation of our entire university.”
“I told them their coaches, the Athletics administration and I will do all we can to support them and help them learn the values we expect them to uphold,” Thrasher added. “But they will be held accountable for their actions.”
Florida State dismissed quarterback De’Andre Johnson from the program after security video footage surfaced of him punching a woman in a bar. Running back Dalvin Cook was suspended for allegedly punching a woman several times in a separate incident just one day after Johnson’s incident.
“We need to do better,” Thrasher said in his public statement, echoing the words from Fisher’s statement on Friday. "[A]nd I want to assure you changes will be made to address these concerns.”FSU President John Thrasher meets with members of the football team Monday. http://t.co/SFP6IoxcTk pic.twitter.com/tZkTgXaeYC
— Florida State Univ. (@floridastate) July 13, 2015