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Posted: Mon Oct 09, 2006 9:11 pmCurfew violation team rule Willis suspended for
Still no timeline given for Wills' return
By Mark Norris, Managing Editor, [email protected]
Issue date: 10/6/06 Section: Sports
A curfew violation is the team rule Justin Willis has been indefinitely suspended for according to an SMU Football player. He spoke with The Daily Campus on the condition his identity not be revealed.
Athletic department officials have refused to give a specific reason for Willis' suspension other than that he broke unspecified team rules.
Bennett told team members that the reason Willis was suspended for being out past curfew.
Players have a 10 p.m. curfew on Thursday nights, 2:30 a.m. on Saturday nights and 11 p.m. on all other nights.
Bennett also told the team that the earliest Willis could return would be Wednesday.
Willis' father, Samuel, said that he has been given no timeline on when his son could return.
A meeting with Athletic Director Steve Orsini on Monday only involved an explanation of what the suspension was for, according to Willis.
"Justin wants to return to playing football. He wants to be the quarterback and wants this situation to be over," Willis said.
The parties are waiting for the Dean of Student Life to complete her investigation. At that point a decision can be made on Willis' status.
Willis says his first priority is his son's reputation.
"He's got to live past football�can you imagine how a hate crime would stay with your reputation," he said.
Willis said they do not plan on filing any charges against Beard at the current time. He said Beard began harassing his son through email and then eventually began to slander him in public and follow Willis around.
"It's hard to do a restraining order on a college campus," Willis said. But he emphasized that he and his son would prefer for the situation to go away and that they have "full faith and confidence" in the university.
"There is no reason we would want to leave SMU," Willis said. "But if it gets to the point where we can't stay there, then we will pack out bags up and go somewhere else."
Still no timeline given for Wills' return
By Mark Norris, Managing Editor, [email protected]
Issue date: 10/6/06 Section: Sports
A curfew violation is the team rule Justin Willis has been indefinitely suspended for according to an SMU Football player. He spoke with The Daily Campus on the condition his identity not be revealed.
Athletic department officials have refused to give a specific reason for Willis' suspension other than that he broke unspecified team rules.
Bennett told team members that the reason Willis was suspended for being out past curfew.
Players have a 10 p.m. curfew on Thursday nights, 2:30 a.m. on Saturday nights and 11 p.m. on all other nights.
Bennett also told the team that the earliest Willis could return would be Wednesday.
Willis' father, Samuel, said that he has been given no timeline on when his son could return.
A meeting with Athletic Director Steve Orsini on Monday only involved an explanation of what the suspension was for, according to Willis.
"Justin wants to return to playing football. He wants to be the quarterback and wants this situation to be over," Willis said.
The parties are waiting for the Dean of Student Life to complete her investigation. At that point a decision can be made on Willis' status.
Willis says his first priority is his son's reputation.
"He's got to live past football�can you imagine how a hate crime would stay with your reputation," he said.
Willis said they do not plan on filing any charges against Beard at the current time. He said Beard began harassing his son through email and then eventually began to slander him in public and follow Willis around.
"It's hard to do a restraining order on a college campus," Willis said. But he emphasized that he and his son would prefer for the situation to go away and that they have "full faith and confidence" in the university.
"There is no reason we would want to leave SMU," Willis said. "But if it gets to the point where we can't stay there, then we will pack out bags up and go somewhere else."