It’s not a Florida State problem, it’s a national problem.
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Jimbo Fisher on Tuesday condemned the acts of two of his players – one former and one current – by telling media that Florida State has zero tolerance for domestic violence. “So we’re stepping up our process now with domestic violence and with different programs that we have to keep educating our kids”.
De’Andre Johnson was dismissed from the team on July 6 after video surfaced of the incoming freshman quarterback punching a woman in a Tallahassee bar.
State attorney Willie Meggs has called the woman and her witness “very credible”. Running back Dalvin Cook was indefinitely suspended four days later after being charged for allegedly striking a woman outside a bar.
Fisher said Florida State continues to have a zero-tolerance policy regarding violence against women. “I will not tolerate anything less”.
Fisher spoke about several measures he is taking with the team in regards to education and prevention of more incidents. That’s in part because this team is not unfamiliar with uncomfortable headlines.
The latest allegations have the ‘Noles facing more questions regarding team culture. They are the last two winners of Florida’s “Mr. Football”, the award presented each year to the top high school player in the state.
Fisher spent little time Tuesday discussing Cook’s status, saying only that the sophomore remains suspended and the program awaits the facts of the case.
When asked if he ever considered dismissing Cook, Fisher said he will wait for that case to play itself out.
To his credit, Fisher didn’t shy away from any off-the-field questions.
Fisher placed the responsibility of his players’ actions on himself.
“De’Andre Johnson was a 3.5 [GPA] student”, Fisher said. But he had never done anything wrong in his past. He was a good guy who made a bad choice.
“I don’t think what’s happening at Florida State is relative to Florida State”, Fisher said. “What you learn: don’t take anything for granted”. The domestic violence incident is actually Cook’s third brush with the law while at Florida State. And thus, it’s not always fair to define a program by its bad apples. And much of the blame seems to fall at Fisher’s feet.
“If you want to change perception, you have to have a continual performance in the right way for long periods of time and perception changes”, Fisher said.
Fisher is also bringing in speakers. Aguayo said the tone of conversations with Fisher and Thrasher were “like father and grandfather”. “It’s not a Florida State problem, it’s a national problem”. A lackluster press conference would’ve only made the issues worse for him and his Florida State program, but Fisher was direct with his answers-just like he needed to be. “And when they do, you punish and adjust and continue to educate so they don’t do it again”. We go 40 days a year of bringing in character-building people, developmental conditioning with issues: drugs, alcohol, opposite sex, domestic violence. We’ve done those things. “We’ve done it from the very first day I’ve been there”. “It’s unfortunate but we’re learning from our mistakes and just moving on”.
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Cook, who led the Seminoles in rushing last season as a freshman, is on suspension from the team. “It’s happening all over this country”.
