Florida State outlines plan to educate student athletes on behavior
Florida State University president John Thrasher said the school plans to educate its athletes on their behavior in the wake of multiple cases of abuse involving members of its football team, according to the Tallahassee Democrat.
Among what Thrasher and others hope will be new requirements for student athletes are a classroom course on social responsibilities, possibly focused on character and ethics and creating an additional division of the compliance department to focus on student-athlete development.
The move comes after Thrasher directed head coach Jimbo Fisher and athletic director Stan Wilcox to develop a plan to help Florida State players better understand the consequences of their actions.
The president met with the team on Monday, telling those assembled that “we need to do better” and promising that “changes will be made” to that effect.
Thrasher told the Democrat's editorial board on Friday that during the meeting he shouted at the players, “Are there any leaders in here?”
“And every one of them stood up,” Thrasher continued, “And I said, ‘Are you with me? Do you understand the consequences, the concerns? Are you going to help us get through this?’ And every one of them said, ‘Yes sir.’”
• De'Andre Johnson apologizes: I should have walked away from bar incident
Thrasher also wants to ensure that coaches study the entirety of a student athlete's background during the recruiting process, according to the Democrat.
On July 6, a video was released that showed freshman quarterback De'Andre Johnson punching a woman in a bar.
On July 10, Seminoles' running back Dalvin Cook was suspended indefinitely from the team after he was accused of a nearly identical offense.
During the 2014 season, Florida State official and Tallahassee (Fla.) Police investigated sexual assault charges against star quarterback Jameis Winston that stemmed from a 2012 incident.
Winston was not charged with a crime in the matter, though both he and his accuser have sued one another in recent months.
Florida State opens its 2015 season at home against Texas State on Sept. 5.
