Another FSU athlete, this time the star of the team, has been suspended indefinitely after being arrested for punching a 21-year-old woman outside a bar.
Running back Dalvin Cook, who has been mentioned in most Heisman watch stories, is the second Seminole player in recent days to be charged with battery against a woman. Cook allegedly punched her several times in a parking lot.
“Recent events at Florida State involving members of my football team have brought a lot of attention to the school and program,” coach Jim Fisher said. “It is important to me that our fans and public be award that I do not tolerate the type of behavior that was captured on video and that has most recently was alleged. The majority of our players are exemplary, but clearly we must place a stronger emphasis on this, and I personally promise we will.
For FSU, this is a stickier situation than simply dismissing a freshman quarterback such as De’Andre Johnson, who was dismissed from the team recently. It is one thing to kick a freshman quarterback, who had little hope of playing, off the team. It is more revealing about a program what it does with a player who is an established weapon.
The incident happened the day before Johnson punched a woman, the video of which prompted his dismissal from the team.
According to the Tallahassee Democrat, the victim was listed as intoxicated and suffered minor abrasions and bruises. It occurred outside of Clyde’s and Costellos on South Adams Street.
Cook is coming off a big season for the Seminoles, as he rushed for 1,008 yards and eight touchdowns as a freshman in 2014. He ended the season with three straight 100+ yard games, including 177 on 31 carries with a touchdown in the ACC Championship against Georgia Tech.
Cook is currently slated to be Florida State’s starting running back this season.
