TCU players boycott practice
TCU football Coach Gary Patterson allegedly told a player to stop using a racial slur in team meetings and, in doing so during a testy exchange at practice Sunday, allegedly repeated the racial slur himself.
Linebacker Dylan Jordan described his version of the incident in a lengthy social media post Monday, saying Patterson’s use of the word prompted a number of players to boycott Monday’s practice.
Jordan alleges that during Sunday’s practice, Patterson called him “a f ***** g brat. I’ll send you back to Pitt,” referring to Jordan’s hometown of Pittsburg, Kan.
Jordan replied: “For what? I ain’t did nothing.”
To which Patterson allegedly said: “You’ve been saying [racial slur] in the meeting room.”
Jordan told teammates Patterson used the actual word.
Patterson and TCU have yet to respond to a request for comment.
Jordan said multiple players spoke with the coach about the incident before Monday’s practice and, once Patterson confirmed he repeated the slur as part of the discussion, several players refused to attend practice.
When Patterson returned to the locker room Monday, he allegedly told players he “wasn’t calling him [Jordan] a (racial slur).” But in multiple social media posts, players said Patterson repeated the actual word in the context of saying that it should not be uttered.
“This behavior is not OK now or ever,” Jordan said. “There needs to be repercussions to these actions.”
Other players defended Patterson, saying the incident is being taken out of context.
“Don’t believe everything you see in the media, know the facts behind a situation before you try to make a situation public,” TCU sophomore cornerback Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson wrote on Twitter. “No one was called the N word. You Twitter fingers need to be cancelled ASAP!”
Added receiver Derius Davis: “Coach P did not call [none] of his players a N Word … Facts.”
Said cornerback Kee’yon Stewart: “Y’all just put this bad reputation on this man and HE NOT EVEN LIKE THAT REAL TALK.”
Tight end Artayvious Lynn ripped Jordan for how he portrayed the situation, saying: “the word shouldn’t be used in any form or fashion but Dylan WRONG for making it seem that way.”
Lynn went on to say players skipped practice to “think of ways to move forward. We stood with Dylan about this all the way but (stuff is) getting twisted.”
Lynn said the team met to discuss the incident with Patterson, telling him: “That word is unacceptable under all context.”
Patterson’s alleged use of the slur first surfaced Monday when former safety Niko Small posted it on Twitter. Small, who was a member of the TCU football program from 2015-18, posted it on social media and it was shared by multiple players on the current roster.
“I can’t believe I was apart of a team and university that allows a person to be in a position of power and to say [racial slur] in front of his players,” Small wrote on Twitter in a since-deleted post. “Coach P needs to make a public apology and take responsibility for what he has done and face consequences. TCU needs huge change.”
Small did not immediately respond to a request for comment.