Dorm Report: Taking a stand against bad behavior

Philadelphia, PA (SportsNetwork.com) – Like a fired-up linebacker who continues to set his sights on taking down a certain Florida State quarterback, I too will again take my shots at Jameis Winston as long as he is permitted to suit up for the Seminoles.

Perhaps I should clarify a bit here; this is not so much about taking a cheap shot at Winston as it is praising one Chris Petersen of the University of Washington for not letting one player receive special treatment. While Winston shoots for a second national title while dodging both defenders and the local police blotter, coach Petersen made it clear on Thursday that no one on his roster is above the team.

Petersen announced on Thursday that star cornerback Marcus Peters, a potential first-round NFL Draft pick, had been dismissed from the team. Peters was not involved in a subversive sexual scenario, nor did he pilfer crustaceans from the local market or shout explicit verbiage to the student body, he was let go because of his confrontational behavior on the actual field of play.

The only upperclassman starting for a young Washington secondary, Peters is a feisty defender who led the Huskies with three interceptions and was also tops on the unit with 10 passes defended before getting the boot. At this point, it appears as though true freshman Naijiel Hale could take over for Peters when the team takes on 18th-ranked UCLA this weekend, which would mean there would be three true freshmen in the secondary trying to slow down quarterback Brett Hundley.

You have to hand it to Petersen, this being his first year at Washington after creating a BCS-busting Boise State Broncos squad, not many head coaches would jettison a top player no matter how long that coach had been on campus (cough, cough Jimbo Fisher). Petersen is a no-nonsense teacher, one who accepts responsibility for himself and his players and should be heralded for not allowing the behavior of Peters to fester and infect the rest of the team.

Sources say Peters, who was suspended for a game earlier this season after an outburst on the sidelines during which he threw his helmet and gloves while playing Eastern Washington, got into an argument with an assistant coach during practice on Wednesday, just days after another argument on the sidelines during the win over Colorado last weekend. Adding to the problem was the fact that Peters also missed practice on Tuesday.

“It’s never one thing. We’re not going to dismiss a guy because it’s one thing,” Petersen stated after practice on Thursday. “That’s not what we’re in this business (to be) about. But when you feel like it just can’t work, you gotta do what you’ve gotta do.”

It is certainly a painful move on the field for Petersen and the Huskies, but it will go a long way in defining what Washington football will tolerate, and how other programs should handle their business. Clearly, college sports is not always about winning (can you hear me down there, Tallahassee?).

It’s unfortunate, but we’ve got certain standards and operating procedures,” Petersen went on to say. “We’re trying to do something special here. Sometimes it just doesn’t work out. Like I said, we wish him the best. It’s always a hard thing — worst part of the job, without question. And with all that being said, that?s really it. That’s it in a nutshell. I know everybody wants the details and other things — we don’t go there; we can’t go there. But like I said, we wish him the best, and it’s hard and painful.”

There again, coach Petersen is trying to remain above the fray, keep himself out of the gutter of gossip and innuendo as best he can, another trait that many should emulate, although there are other moments of indiscretion by Peters that must be noted.

A Second-Team All-Pac-12 selection last season after pacing the Huskies with five interceptions, Peters was also suspended for the opening quarter of Washington’s Fight Hunger Bowl victory over BYU (31-16) last December. Peters, along with cornerback Travell Dixon, was seen laughing on the Washington sideline in the final minutes of the Huskies’ crushing loss at Oregon last month, which is never a good sign for the fans who expect players to take the game seriously.

Then again, maybe Peters had a problem taking the game too seriously to begin with when you consider that his suspension in September was based on his reaction after a play in which he head-butted an Eastern Washington receiver. Either way, this guy was unbalanced and failed to take advantage of the opportunities he was presented in Seattle.

Can you tell that I am a huge supporter of Petersen, the man who has now been involved in nine incidences of a player either being suspended or dismissed from the team since February? There is something to be said about doing it the right way vs. finding space in your trophy case for another crystal ball that comes with an asterisk. Winston and the Seminoles might bring home more of the accolades, but Petersen and the Huskies will own the award for integrity.

Categorized in: NCAA Football