FSU Cuts Quarterback De'Andre Johnson After He Punched Woman in Fla. Bar
De'Andre Johnson was supposed to start as a quarterback this fall at FSU.
— -- Florida State University has booted its freshman quarterback from the team after video surfaced of his punching a woman at a bar.
De'Andre Johnson, 19, was scheduled to start as quarterback this fall before he was arrested last month on charges of misdemeanor battery.
FSU Football coach Jimbo Fisher made the announcement in a statement Monday that Johnson had been dismissed from the team “starting immediately.” Fisher said Johnson had already been suspended on June 25 after the alleged incident on the night before.
In recently released video of the scene, Johnson is apparently shown coming up to a crowded bar in Tallahassee before quickly getting into a verbal and then physical altercation with a woman already at the crowded bar.
The man in the video appears to grab the woman’s arm and pins it to her chest. When she tries to swat at his face, he appears to punch her in the face and then leaves. The woman appears to have a bloody nose as her friends come to help her.
Johnson was charged with misdemeanor battery. He is expected in court later this month and has not yet entered a plea.
Johnson’s lawyer Jose Baez told ABC News the former quarterback was “embarrassed” by the altercation.
“While it is clear from the video that De'Andre Johnson was not the initial aggressor, his family wants to take the lead in helping him learn and grow from this experience,” Baez said in a statement. “De'Andre is extremely embarrassed by this situation and would like to express his heartfelt apologies to everyone, including those who were directly affected.”
Baez said Johnson is “currently participating” in programs focused on battered woman, substance abuse and empowerment of children.
FSU President John Thrasher said in a statement he agreed with the decision to dismiss Johnson.
"I fully support Coach Fisher’s decisions to immediately suspend and subsequently dismiss De’Andre Johnson from the football team," Thrasher said in a statement. "While it is always important to adhere to due process, having now seen the physical altercation captured on video, there is no question in my mind that Coach Fisher made the correct decisions"
The Associated Press contributed to this report.