Chris Del Conte, athletic director for the University of Texas, has publicly apologized after several of the school’s football players engaged in vulgar displays of jubilation.
Del Conte apologized after players Colin Simmons and Raleek Brown performed celebratory acts he found “embarrassing” this past weekend. In Simmons case, he was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct after he mimicked urinating on the field in celebration of a quarterback sack; Brown celebrated a touchdown by pretending to pass out after grabbing his crotch and then his face.
“I’m not happy about that, I know none of us are, and it was embarrassing to our proud and widely respected football team, athletics program and university,’ Del Conte wrote in his Forty Acres Insider blog post.
“It certainly raised very warranted concerns that many of you shared with me, drew a lot of attention, and I understand why,” he added.
In his blog post, Del Conte said head coach Steve Sarkisian disapproved of the celebrations, adding that he would discipline the players for their conduct. He also noted that Simmons apologized in private after clips of his celebration went viral.
“I also want to add my apology to our Longhorn community and everyone who expects better from Texas,’ Del Conte wrote. “We should represent this university with class, dignity and respect at all times, and in those moments, we fell short.”
“I do recognize that these are young men who made mistakes, and this is a meaningful learning experience. They have owned their mistakes, and those actions are not reflective of who they are,” he added.