All UF Athletics
Spikes to sit out entire Vanderbilt game
By Robbie Andreu
Sun sports writer
Posted:
11/04/2009 6:22 PM
By mutual agreement, the Florida coaching staff and All-America linebacker Brandon Spikes have decided that Spikes now will sit out the entire Vanderbilt game Saturday.
The decision was announced after practice Wednesday and comes in the wake of much national criticism over Spikes' eye-gouging incident in the Georgia game in Jacksonville on Saturday.
"He came to see us last night, coach (Charlie) Strong and myself," Meyer said. "A lot of the negative things out there are really weighing heavy on (Spikes') heart right now. As a group we decided it would be in the best interest of the team not to play him Saturday.
"We're doing it out of respect for our team so we can focus on trying to win our ninth game. We think it's the right thing to do. We support Brandon fully. We look forward to him coming back and finishing the season the right way."
On Monday, Meyer suspended Spikes for the first half of Saturday's game after conferring with SEC commissioner Mike Slive.
The decision was announced after practice Wednesday and comes in the wake of much national criticism over Spikes' eye-gouging incident in the Georgia game in Jacksonville on Saturday.
"He came to see us last night, coach (Charlie) Strong and myself," Meyer said. "A lot of the negative things out there are really weighing heavy on (Spikes') heart right now. As a group we decided it would be in the best interest of the team not to play him Saturday.
"We're doing it out of respect for our team so we can focus on trying to win our ninth game. We think it's the right thing to do. We support Brandon fully. We look forward to him coming back and finishing the season the right way."
On Monday, Meyer suspended Spikes for the first half of Saturday's game after conferring with SEC commissioner Mike Slive.
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