Mounting tensions between the Grambling football team and the school’s administration finally came to a head when the team walked out of a meeting with the school’s president, athletic director, interim coach, and student government president Tuesday, and skipped practice Wednesday.
Tuesday’s meeting was to address what the team feels is disrespect from the administration including why the they took a bus to games in Kansas City and Indianapolis, the firing of head coach Doug Williams, not receiving all meals on road trips, and poor facilities.
The team walked out of the meeting when a source says it became negative. University spokesman Will Sutton said the meeting was meant to show support.
“(The administration) knew that emotions were raw,” Sutton said. “No matter what, it was going to be a challenge for the team to feel good after this season and last season.
“That’s part of the reason why we have a new (athletics director) and are looking for a new football coach. The president wanted to make a point that the university supports and appreciates the team and these students, and that the administration will do everything we need to do for the future success of the program.”
Players walked out of practice Wednesday after a teammate was kicked out for talking about the Tuesday’s meeting during a weight training session.
“It was basically a mutiny,” the source said. “(The team) rode the bus all that way (to Indianapolis), and then come back and are disrespected like that (in Tuesday’s meeting). (The team) is standing together because they don’t know if anybody else is standing with them.”
It has been a rough couple of years for the Tigers who are 0-7 this year and were 1-11 in 2012. My hope is that this once storied football program will be able to come to a resolution with the administration. I commend them for coming together and standing up for what seems like is disrespectful treatment. They are scheduled to play at Jackson State this weekend.