Harris: Protest shows players’ power
COLUMBIA, Mo. — Unrest on the Missouri campus, brought on by dissatisfaction with the way the president of the university system handled complaints about racism, had been brewing for months.
It took only two days after the football team joined the protest and threatened to stay off the field until a black student protester ended his hunger strike for the target of their boycott to be gone.
“Let this be a testament to all of the athletes across the country that you do have power,” Tigers defensive end Charles Harris said Monday. “It started with a few individuals on our team, and look what it’s become. Look where it’s at right now. This is nationally known, and it started with just a few.”
The Missouri team’s stand was credited with escalating the protest about long-simmering tensions about race. The athletics department faced a $1 million payment to BYU if it had to back out of the teams’ game.
The president of the University of Missouri system, Tim Wolfe, resigned Monday morning and said he took full responsibility for students’ anger.
The players insisted they were just a few voices in a larger protest. They skipped a news conference with all the media they brought to campus in favor of a rally with classmates. Practice resumes and the game will go on.
Barrett pleads guilty in driving case
Ohio State quarterback J.T. Barrett pleaded guilty Tuesday to a count of driving while impaired and was sentenced to a three-day driver-intervention program and fined $400. His license was also suspended for six months.
Barrett, 20, apologized to his family, Ohio State and OSU football fans in a brief statement at a hearing in Columbus Municipal Court where his lawyer said Barrett took responsibility for driving under the influence. “I’m just truly sorry,” Barrett said. Barrett must complete the class and pay the fine by Feb. 15 or face jail time, said Judge H. William Pollitt as he accepted Barrett’s plea.
Columbus police cited Barrett early on the morning of Oct. 31 after he was stopped at a police checkpoint. In addition to being suspended for last week’s Minnesota game, Barrett will forfeit his summer financial aid, coach Urban Meyer said.
Meyer said Barrett, who turns 21 in January, came to his home the day of the incident to apologize.
Meyer said Barrett told him he did not believe he was impaired.
Barrett was home Oct. 31 relaxing with friends when a “heavily intoxicated” friend stopped by and Barrett decided to drive him home, said Barrett’s attorney, Phil Templeton. Barrett’s sense of responsibility as an Ohio State captain played a part in that decision, Templeton said.
“He now recognizes, of course, that was a poor decision given what has happened to him,” Templeton said. He wouldn’t identify the friend.
Templeton also said that Barrett was home that night, Halloween, instead of out “reveling” like so many other people his age.