HBCU football coach apologizes for recruiting Florida prospect who lost scholarship over racial slur

The head football coach at Albany State University, a historically black university, issued an apology Friday for extending a scholarship offer to a four-star high school quarterback recruit who lost a previous scholarship over his use of a racial slur.

Last November, a video emerged of quarterback Marcus Stokes, who is White, singing along in a car to a song with lyrics that contained the n-word. The video went viral and prompted a huge social media outcry. Stokes had originally committed to play in his home state at the University of Florida on a scholarship, but the university rescinded that offer soon after the video surfaced. 

Stokes quickly responded to the controversy once the video came to light. “I was in my car listening to rap music, rapping along to the words, and posted a video of it to social media,” Stokes said in a statement, according to CBS Sports. “I deeply apologize for the words in the song which I chose to say.”

As he continued looking for a school where he could play after graduating high school, Stokes tweeted last Tuesday that he had received an offer from the Albany State and head coach Quinn Gray.

Three days later, Gray released a lengthy apology on the school’s website, in which he said that “the consequences of my actions brought pain to our university. I was trying to help a student get back in competition, and in my haste, I did not consider the impact the decision would have on all of you.

“Frankly, it wasn’t my place to use ASU as the platform for redemption in this case,” Gray continued. “I regret that I used flawed judgment. If given the opportunity, I will do better.”

Gray also said that Marion Ross Fedrick, the university’s president, made it clear that his actions did not meet the school’s standards.

Since his scholarship offer to Florida was revoked, Stokes has also received interest from Alabama A&M and West Florida. Stokes still seemed optimistic about finding a way to play college football, tweeting “Imma find a home” in response to Albany State’s offer.