Texas Athletic Director Chris Del Conte isn’t messing around: he just publicly apologized for “inappropriate celebrations” from edge Colin Simmons and running back Raleek Brown during Saturday’s win over Tennessee, making it crystal clear those antics are done. According to Del Conte’s Tuesday newsletter, those kinds of celebrations are absolutely not tolerated by the program, per 247sports.com.
The On-Field Antics That Triggered an Apology
Dude, some of these celebrations were seriously out there. Colin Simmons found himself right in the middle of a controversy after he celebrated a sack. Referee Kyle Olson actually announced that Simmons was “simulating using the restroom,” mimicking urinating on the field. Seriously? Yeah, that earned him a flag for unsportsmanlike conduct, as it should. Simmons later apologized, saying he just “got caught up in the moment.” But wait, there’s more. Running back Raleek Brown also drew fire for a celebration after his fourth-quarter touchdown. Brown “appeared to wipe his genitals with his hand and then mimic fainting” when he brought his hand up to his face. Crazy. What’s even wilder is Brown’s celebration wasn’t flagged at all.
The AD’s Hammer Drops
Del Conte was not holding back about how embarrassing this all was. “I’m not happy about that,” he wrote in his newsletter, adding, “I know none of us are, and it was embarrassing to our proud and widely respected football team, athletics program and university.” He got a lot of “very warranted concerns” from the community, and he totally gets why. Coach Steve Sarkisian already went in on the players and the whole team about it on Monday, telling reporters straight up, “that behavior is unacceptable.” Del Conte totally backs that sentiment, making it loud and clear that “the players conduct did not reflect the values of Texas Athletics or our university and cannot happen again.” He even apologized to the Longhorns community for Simmons’ and Brown’s actions, but he believes both players have learned from their mistakes and will “grow from this.” Hopefully, they do.
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Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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