Student Athletes Send Letter To Florida University President
Student Athletes Send Letter To Florida University President: Over a third of the team could not report for fear of being arrested, and the university didn’t have enough other bodies to play, either. At the time, there were only three people on campus for every football game, according to the letter. Furthermore, equipment was broken and cold water from leaky pipes left some players unable to practice or play.
The letter states concerns about delays in financial aid payments, academic support and compliance, summer school housing and food, athlete representation for the athletic director’s search, and ticket allotments for players’ families.
FAMU was nearly shutout by North Carolina, but despite the outcome, 26 members of the team were ruled ineligible, with the Rattlers claiming they saw this as a sign of disrespect in a meeting later with players.
A university football team felt demoralized when they saw articles in the media with headlines declaring “26 FAMU Football Players Ruled Ineligible” and implied that they were not performing well at school. This was not the case; instead, there were issues in the office of the registrar, compliance department and academic advising.
Despite their team’s decimation, the Rattlers decided to play UNC. In fact, the players said they did it for the students and community members who support them and to reinforce the message that this letter is unacceptable. The players also knelt in unison before the alma maters while they made their statement.
After much discussion among their team, the players decided on Friday night to play a game at UNC. Not playing for their institution, they would play for their teammates, classmates, fans, and coaches were instrumental in both players sustaining season-ending injuries.
After the game, Florida A&M will focus on Jackson State. The Marching 100 played both of their school’s alma mater, “College of Love and Charity,” and “Florida Song” before protestors in the stadium began kneeling during these songs. The protest will continue until significant changes to better facilitate a positive student-athlete experience are made.