Go ahead and complain that this isn’t a story about pro football, and while you’re doing it consider that off-field misconduct remains one of the hottest topics in the NFL. With one of the top generators of NFL talent failing to control its players when they are away from the field, articles about Florida State are relevant to the NFL.
Or you can just scroll to the next story.
After last month’s incident involving former Florida State quarterback De’Andre Johnson in a Tallahasse bar and more recent news that Florida State running back Dalvin Cook allegedly punched a woman several times outside a Tallahassee bar, coach Jimbo Fisher has banned all players from bars, in Tallahassee or elsewhere.
According to Jim Henry of the Tallahassee Democrat, Fisher issued the prohibition during a team meeting on Saturday.
While restricting where the players can spend their time won’t necessarily keep them from assaulting people in other places, it’s a start. Of course, the edict from Fisher shouldn’t have been needed for Johnson and Cook, given that both are under 21 and shouldn’t have been in and around bars.
Still, it’s a move Fisher had to make, even if it gives a leg up in recruiting to other programs, where players will be able to still go to bars. He needs to get his players under control quickly, and the days of the local authorities looking the other way and the national media not paying attention to what’s going on are long gone.
