Three Florida State defensive linemen – starters Eddie Goldman and Nile Lawrence-Stample and backup Justin Shanks – went down with lower leg injuries in Saturday’s 37-12 win over The Citadel, and shockingly, a lineman for The Citadel admitted in an online post that team’s line was “going for the knees.”
In a comment on an article from the Post and Courier, Victor Hill, a 6-foot-2, 275-pound senior, seemed to be bragging that he “contributed to the injury list,” which he said was “the mindset going into the game.”
Here's the Facebook post from Citadel OL Victor Hill bragging how he "contributed to the injury list" against FSU. http://ift.tt/Wvki6r
— Warchant.com (@Warchant) September 7, 2014 Once Hill’s comments started to spread, first-year Citadel head coach Mike Houston quickly put out a statement on Sunday saying Hill would be disciplined.
"In no way does one person's words reflect the philosophy and mindset of our program, players and coaches," Houston's statement read. "I am very disappointed in Victor Hill's choice of words which do not convey the way I feel the game of football should be played or coached. I have addressed the matter with Victor and he will be disciplined accordingly. The Citadel Football program always strives to do things in a first class manner on and off the field."
After speaking with Hill, Houston also tried to convey what his player’s sentiments were when he made the comment.
“He was trying to say, in his own way, things like, ‘Florida State didn’t respect us going into the game,’ and using cut blocks would force them to use their hands to defeat the block and slow them down in backside pursuit,” Houston said. “That being said, it came across the opposite of what he meant.”
Hill apologized in a statement of his own.
"I would like to sincerely apologize for my statements this morning. I am both embarrassed and ashamed of my comments. They reflect in no way, shape or form how I am taught or coached to perform. I am truly sorry for my immature comments that were made out of frustration. It was senseless on my part and I will accept the consequences for my actions and hope to grow from the experience moving forward. I apologize to Coach Jimbo Fisher, his players and the FSU fans for my negative remarks."
After the game, FSU head coach Jimbo Fisher attributed the injuries to The Citadel’s option offense, which features plenty of low blocks from its linemen, but he didn’t seem to think Citadel linemen were intentionally trying to injure FSU players.
“When you play these kind of teams, they’re constantly cutting the knees and ankles,” Fisher said, per the Post and Courier. “Nothing illegal about it. That’s just football.”
At the same time, Fisher said he had no intention of scheduling non-conference games against option teams like The Citadel in the future.
“Those guys that cut and block like this, it’s crazy. I’d rather play more conventional teams, just because of the chance of injuries that occurred,” Fisher said.
Fisher was unsure of the status of the three players who went down, but the Seminoles have a bye this week before a September 20 matchup with Clemson. If the injuries aren’t serious, they’ll have a bit of extra time to heal up before the team’s ACC opener.
For more Florida State news, visit Warchant.com.
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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!
From Dr. Saturday - NCAAF - Yahoo Sports - Citadel lineman says he and teammates were 'going for the knees' against Florida State
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