Florida State defensive lineman Marvin Wilson is disputing FSU coach Mike Norvell's claim that he "had a lot of open communication" with his players, saying that the coach had only sent a generated text to players.
In a statement released by The Athletic, Norvell said that he "went back and forth individually with every player this weekend" after nationwide protests began as a response to George Floyd's death while in police custody.
"And that was something that was important to me because this is a heartbreaking time in our country," Norvell said, according to The Athletic. "You see hate and you see discrimination. You see some of the acts that have occurred. I mean, it's a problem. And it's something that we have to stand together and we have to work to get it fixed. I'll continue to share with our guys the platform that they have and the opportunity that is there for them to make a difference, to be an influence and to be able to impact our country in a positive way by the overall mindset and approach of how we treat people to how we respond in situations. I told these guys just how grateful I am to be a part of this journey with them because they are the future."
But Wilson says that Norvell did not have one-on-one conversations with players and said that teammates are "outraged" that he is making false claims to pretend that he has started an open dialogue with the team.
Man this did not happen mane. We got a generated text that was sent to everybody. There was no one on one talk between us and coach. This is a lie and me and my teammates as a whole are outraged and we will not be working out until further notice #hunchoout https://t.co/6Uuy6K7Eu3— HEAD HUNCHO (@marvinwilson21) June 4, 2020
"This is a lie and me and my teammates as a whole are outraged and we will not be working out until further notice," Wilson wrote.
ESPN reports that the team will be having a meeting Thursday and it is believed that the controversy will be addressed.
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