One Year Later, Dismissing Johnson Still Right Choice for FSU

Quarterback De’Andre Johnson never spent a single minute on the field, sideline or even a Florida State roster during the regular season. Last week however, many were reminded of the incident that led to Johnson’s dismissal from the program.

Last June, Johnson was suspended indefinitely after allegations arose that he punched a woman in a Tallahassee bar. When video emerged in early July that confirmed those allegations, Johnson was dismissed from the program.

Johnson’s dismissal came about six months after an FSU Code of Conduct hearing cleared former Heisman-winning quarterback Jameis Winston on allegations of raping another student. The Winston saga spanned more than a year and was highly controversial, based largely on the way the Tallahassee Police Department handled the case and the way it was covered in the press.

For many (particularly those who despise FSU), the Johnson case was merely an attempt for head coach Jimbo Fisher and the university to save face. Skeptics also questioned whether or not Johnson would have stayed with the program had video not surfaced or if Johnson would have been projected to have more of a prominent role on the team in 2015.

While some had no problem belittling the move by Fisher and FSU or portraying it as the easy thing to do, this week showed that parting with a player who had never taken the field might not have been as easy as some might think.

Mississippi State (rightfully) came under scrutiny last week after allowing 5-star defensive end recruit Jeffery Simmons to enroll in school. Simmons issued an apology in March after video surfaced of the soon-to-be freshman striking a woman several times including when she was on the ground.

Simmons’ punishment? A 1-game suspension and required counseling.

Simmons was a top-20 national recruit who is expected to play right away for the Bulldogs in 2016. Simmons had scholarship offers from everyone from Georgia to LSU to reigning national champion Alabama. Mississippi State has allowed Simmons to enroll “with conditions”, but the graphic nature of the beating has led many to question whether or not he belongs on campus at all.

Johnson wasn’t quite as highly sought after when he came to Florida State, but the expectations were still high. Johnson was Mr. Football in the state of Florida and a threat to make plays with both his arm and his legs.

In fact, if Johnson was still enrolled at FSU, he might be as the front-runner to assume the starting job for 2016. Johnson came in with current redshirt freshman Deondre Francois, but enrolled early in 2015.

Johnson performed admirably in the 2015 FSU spring game, going 8-for-11 passing for 155 yards and a pair of touchdown tosses. Johnson was also considered the best athlete among the FSU quarterbacks on the roster at the time. With the edge in athleticism and an extra spring under his belt, Johnson may be preparing to start against Ole Miss on Labor Day.

Instead, Johnson is playing at East Mississippi Community College hoping to get another chance at the FBS level. It was reported that both Auburn and Florida are pursuing the former Mr. Football.

Cynics can question the nobility behind the move as much as they would like, but the simple fact of the matter is that Johnson was forced to leave a program he wanted to play for and FSU parted ways with a player it had high expectations for.

Fisher has been criticized for the way he handled Winston during his past, but has been pretty consistent when it comes to dismissing players for violence again women while at the same time, allowing due process to run its course. In the case of Johnson, it should serve as a valuable lesson for the quarterback regardless of the true intent behind it.

Can the perceived lenient punishment for Simmons do likewise for him in Starkville? We’ll find out soon enough.