Jacksonville - After seeing the video of De'Andre Johnson allegedly punching a female at a Tallahassee nightclub, Florida State head coach Jimbo Fisher had no choice but to dismiss Johnson from the team.
On Thursday, FSU President John Thrasher backed the head coach. It's a tough call to make, but one that Fisher has had to do several times over his coaching career.
Back in 2012, Lowndes High School product Greg Reid was dismissed from the program for a violation of team rules. Reid is currently playing with the Jacksonville Sharks, an arena football team, and said he remembers the feeling of being let go. He added Johnson's whole life is about to change, but says he feels like Johnson's career is far from over.
Reid said Fisher made the decision to dismiss him to protect the program, a program he feels suffered because of his mistakes.
"That's the main reason I came back my senior year was to get a ring," he said after practice Tuesday. "I feel like the team we had we could have got one. I feel like I let them down, I let my family down, and I made it look bad on the University. I know the University doesn't bring athletes like that to FSU. Coach Fisher had to make a decision, and I just live with it and I'm playing football again so that's all that matters right now."
Reid tore his ACL twice after leaving Florida State. He was finally picked up by the St. Louis Rams in 2014, but was cut just before the season started. He signed a one year rookie contract with the Sharks in April, and is currently seventh in the league in interceptions.
He said he's happy to be back playing, and happy to get another shot.
"I just have to focus on practicing hard, and just getting comfortable with the different techniques," he said. "Now that I've been to a couple games, a lot of teams are starting to scheme on me, and I just have to know my alignments and how to play. I think they're helping me out everyday at practice about that."
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