Groundbreaking news out of the Kansas State football camp hit the internet over the weekend, as players have announced that they will not play, practice or meet until a student at the university is dismissed from the school’s enrollment for a tweet posted earlier this week.
Several Wildcats players have voiced their concerns, including sophomore standout wide receiver Josh Youngblood, who posted an image on Twitter with a statement on Sunday night —
“To our family at Kansas State: Due to the recent disparaging, insensitive, and unsettling comments made by a fellow student, we as a football team, after consultation with students from campus organizations, as well as students from the general student body, feel it is best for us to stand with the students. We are demanding that Kansas State University put a policy in place that allows a student to be dismissed for displaying openly racist, threatening or disrespectful action toward a student or groups of students. We have resolved that we cannot play, practice, or meet until these demands are heard and actions taken. We love Kansas State but we must stand together and protect all students moving forward.”
The tweet that sparked outrage among students and athletes at Kansas State was posted by a student named Jaden McNeil, who openly mocked the death of Minneapolis’ George Floyd.
Kansas State responded to their football program by releasing the following statement:
“K-State Athletics, along with President Myers and University leadership, respect and support our student-athletes in standing up in the fight against racism. At K-State we are a family and we will work together to make our campus community an even better place to call home.”
Football Head Coach Chris Klieman posted a statement of his own Sunday night via Twitter–
“Recent tweets from a K-State student downplaying the Black Lives Matter effort and the tragic and senseless death of George Floyd are disgusting and totally inappropriate and not reflective of who we are as a University or our Athletic Department. They are not reflective of our administration and goals. We are committed to listening and supporting our black athletes, black students and members of our black community and taking positive steps in the matters of social injustice and racism.”
