This is a response to Thea Wright’s article, “Football players: just settle down,” which was published in the Nov. 3, 2006 edition of The Reflector. I understand your concern about our school and our team’s reputation, but our football players shouldn’t be solely held responsible for Mississippi State University’s reputation.
It’s not like our players go out looking for trouble; they don’t wake up in the morning and say, “How are we going to make the headline news today?” All of our football players are very good people.
I think that before anyone can say something or pass judgment on them, they must first understand and know the entire situation that these players have been in. Regarding the six players that got into trouble during spring semester, there was more to the story than a lot of people know. Those boys didn’t walk into the nightclub that night looking for a fight, especially with a cop.
I’m not going to address the situation with the sophomore that was charged with attempted sexual battery. Going into full detail on that situation will definitely open the door to a lot of controversy.
Why are there so many concerns with the incidents that our football players get into? There should be an article about how great our players are and the good things that they have accomplished. Just this past weekend Quinton Culberson was named the Bronco Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week, which is a national award. Also, during our Homecoming game, sophomore Derek Pegues was selected as the Southeastern Conference Special Teams Player of the Week. In August there were four players that earned Rouse Ironman Awards, Jeramie (MeMe) Johnson, Deljuan (Boss) Robinson, Casey Rogers and Jamar Chaney.
The list of accomplishments for our football team continues. My answer to the question, “Where do we go from here,” is to continue to be the great MSU Bulldogs that we have always been. Don’t be so quick to judge our athletes. They are not the only students at Mississippi State to ever get into trouble.
I understand that they are athletes and the camera may sometimes be on them a little bit more than other students. They are wonderful human beings, and we must remember that. They’re humans just like the rest of us, and none of us are perfect.