UGA AD: Comment about UGA football players is 'inaccurate, overgeneralized, and hurtful'
I’ve had the privilege to work in collegiate athletics for more than 20 years, 11 of which have been at the University of Georgia. I love Athens. I have three boys that attend Clarke County schools. Athens is woven into the fabric of my family’s life, so I was both saddened and disappointed to hear that an Athens-Clarke County commissioner recently made inaccurate, overgeneralized, and hurtful statements about our football student-athletes in a public meeting — statements that she has continued to defend in subsequent comments.
I want to highlight significant undisputed facts. During my time here, I have seen more than 1,000 student-athletes graduate from UGA with an average of 94-96% post-graduation placement in professional schools, internships, full-time positions, or professional sports. Within football specifically, Georgia leads the country in the number of National Football Foundation Post-Graduate Scholars, Academic All-Americans, and NCAA Post-Graduate Scholars.
Letter:Clarke Co. NAACP president responds to Commissioner Link remarks on UGA players
Background: Athens commissioner responds to UGA football players 'raping and murdering' comment
The fact is, most of our student-athletes excel in all aspects of life, and while that does not excuse any instances of wrongdoing, it certainly underscores the fact that those transgressions tend to be the exception — not the rule. The insinuation that a disproportionate number of our athletes are committing violent crimes is not only grossly inaccurate, but also woefully inappropriate and reckless. The idea that an overgeneralized, hurtful, and inaccurate statement should be accepted because it was in response to sarcastic quip about players drafted in a small room, is distasteful and careless. Misinformation and divisive rhetoric made public in any way is irresponsible, particularly coming from an elected official, as it provides a spark that can and has spread quickly.
UGA Athletics and our student-athletes have done tremendous work in the Athens-Clarke community. One example is our Dawgs For Pups program, which raises money for various initiatives for school-age children and special causes in the community. This active program was started and spearheaded by our football student-athletes and serves as a model program for our department. It is important to note that we, as a department, are committed to inclusion, integrity, and innovation in helping our student-athletes succeed in the classroom, in competition, and in life. Their parents entrust us with their children when they choose to attend UGA, and we take pride and joy in that trust. In my role as athletic director, I could not allow such a hurtful, overgeneralized, and irresponsible statement to go unchecked. I am a public servant, and negative, divisive, and uniformed comments do nothing to advance or enrich the lives of the students that our staff has the privilege of serving.
I challenge anyone to get to know our student-athletes and hear their personal stories. They will show you how this great university impacted their lives. They will show you the power of the student-athlete experience. The Georgia Way is unique and incredibly effective, providing outstanding resources for all of our student-athletes, including sport-specific, comprehensive, personal, and professional development programming. You can read more about it at TheGeorgiaWay.com. Furthermore, I will continue to teach my children and my 540+ student-athletes that Georgia Bulldogs respond to insult with class and dignity, and sometimes there is just one thing you can say to someone — GO DAWGS.
This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: UGA AD responds to Athens commissioner's 'raping and murdering' remark
