Poor Choice

A&M player’s bad decision should not ruin his college career

College football fans can be passionate. Sometimes very passionate. When things are going well for their team, they cheer. When things aren’t going so well? Then they can turn and things can get rather unpleasant at the stadium, pretty darn fast.

So it was Saturday when Texas A&M University played the University of Louisiana-Lafayette. The first half wasn’t going the Aggies way and they trailed 21-14 as the two sides broke for halftime.

Some A&M fans apparently were not kind to their team. Reports are there was some booing as the Aggies headed off to the locker room. And that didn’t sit well with one player.

A freshman wide receiver seems to have heard enough of the catcalls and made a common but generally considered vulgar gesture in the direction of the fans.

Needless to say, this caused quite a stir online.

The player took to Twitter to apologize. He said the gesture was not intended toward fans—apparently it was directed at a group of his friends in the stands— but he took responsibility and said he was “raised better.”

A&M Coach Kevin Sumlin later issued a statement saying the player did not return to the field after halftime and that any further discipline will be an internal matter.

We think that’s wise.

The fans may have gotten out of hand. But that’s no excuse for this player’s actions. It’s not the kind of sportsmanship anyone wants to see. But the freshman is young, he appears contrite and there is no reason his college athletic career—and possibly any future he has in football—must be ruined by this one incident. He should have the opportunity to put this past him and get on with his life.

College is all about learning. We hope he’s learned from this and that his teammates also take a lesson to keep their impulses in check.