FAMU Athletics refutes commentator’s claim that cheerleaders “gave up”

On Tuesday, FAMU Athletics Sports Information Director Vaughn Wilson responded to a troubling
remark that an ESPN commentator made during the MEAC/SWAC Challenge football game in Orlando. The analyst told the network’s national audience that the FAMU cheerleaders “gave up,” a claim that Wilson refuted.

Wilson did not state the commentator’s name. But the blog HBCU Gameday reported that Jay Walker, a former college quarterback who played for Howard University, made the accusation.

Here is the text of Wilson’s response:

We have received several communications in relation to the statement made on ESPN, during the broadcast of the MEAC/SWAC Challenge, about the FAMU cheerleaders.  The statement that the FAMU cheerleaders had “given up” during the game has gained traction on social media and blogs.

On behalf of FAMU Athletics, I would like to say that the statement is completely false.  Our cheerleaders never left the playing field, never wavered and certainly never gave up.

Officials at the Florida Citrus Bowl placed a field-level thermometer on the artificial turf during the game, which read 143 degrees.  The downside to artificial turf is it’s tendency to radiate heat, as it does not pass through as it would on natural grass.  The FAMU sports medicine team in conjunction with cheerleader coaches Brandi Tatum and Felicia Barnes closely monitored the team, and ensured they remained hydrated during the game for obvious health safety reasons.

We could not be more proud of the FAMU cheerleaders, as they performed like true Rattlers over the entire weekend.  They performed at the Pep Rally at Downtown Disney and band showcase at Epcot on Saturday, as well as the game on Sunday.  They were in step with our activities, and in our opinion, did a yeoman’s job of supporting our team every step of the way.

Again, we want to say with finality, that that we are proud of our cheerleaders and they never wavered during the game on Sunday.