A historically black college has yanked a scholarship offer to a Florida quarterback who had a prior package pulled for using the n-word, according to reports.
Marcus Stokes — a standout at Nease High School in Ponte Vedra Beach — was slated to attend the University of Florida on full scholarship last year.
That school rescinded the offer after Stokes posted a social media clip where he said the n-word while mimicking a rap song which was playing in his car.
Albany State head coach Quinn Gray appeared to toss Stokes a lifeline this month, offering him a spot on his team at the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) school in Georgia.
But Gray pulled that offer after online backlash, issuing a lengthy statement that apologized for what he called a misguided “redemption” project.
“Frankly, it wasn’t my place to use ASU as the platform for redemption in this case,” Gray wrote Friday. “I regret that I used flawed judgment. If given the opportunity, I will do better.”
While he didn’t name Stokes, Gray made it clear that university president Marion Ross Fedrick did not endorse the quarterback’s potential presence on campus.
“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,” read Gray’s statement.
Stokes had apologized profusely for his actions and was endorsed by several teammates after the controversy, but interest in him dipped despite him once being a top national prospect.
While Albany State is no longer an option, Stokes has also drawn interest from West Florida University and Alabama State.
“Imma find a home,” he tweeted.
Stokes, the 24th-ranked quarterback prospect in his graduating class, said he accepted Florida’s decision after they pulled his deal.
“I deeply apologize for the words in the song that I chose to say,” he said in a statement. “I fully accept the consequences for my actions and I respect the University of Florida’s decision to withdraw my scholarship offer to play football.”
