BIRMINGHAM, AL ― Willie Simmons and his Florida A&M Rattlers‘ focus has now shifted to fall training camp.
The team appeared at the 2023 Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Media Day in Birmingham on Tuesday, its third since joining the conference in 2021.
Simmons suspended all-football related activities late last Friday, which stemmed from a portion of an unauthorized music video being shot inside of the Galimore-Powell Fieldhouse locker room for Tallahassee artist Real Boston Richey’s song, ‘Send A Blitz.’
FAMU vice president and director of athletics Tiffani-Dawn Sykes released a statement on Monday to reinstate the Rattlers’ football activities on following Simmons meeting with his team to address the video.
There is still an internal investigation happening within the university to determine how the music video came about.
“We had a successful meeting,” Simmons told the Tallahassee Democrat on Tuesday in Birmingham. “We continue to talk about the expectations going into this season and what we’re charged to do ― on the field, off the field, in the classroom.
“Our biggest thing is always thinking about our brand. The beauty of about football is that you’re part of something greater than you and we continue to remind our guys of that. No one is bigger than the program. We have to do everything with the program in mind and I think that’s something that resonates a little bit now.”
Now that the Rattlers are back activated to participate in football activities, Simmons is eyeing the Aug. 2 fall training camp report date. The first practice is schedule for Aug. 4 at Bragg Memorial Stadium.
Big expectations surround the Rattlers as they were voted to finish first in SWAC East alongside having a league-leading ten preseason all-conference selections.
Additionally, graduate student quarterback Jeremy Moussa was named the SWAC’s Preseason Offensive Player of the Year as he prepares to play his final football college football season.
FAMU’s first game will be against the defending SWAC Champions Jackson State in the Denny’s Orange Blossom Classic at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens on Sunday, Sept. 3.
“Football is our safe haven,” Simmons said. “We’re looking forward to getting back on the field. A lot of focus is on what happens leading up to getting on the field. But once we hit the field on Aug. 4 for that first practice, it’s all systems go and we’re 100 percent locked in on what our job is. And that’s to develop ourselves mentally and physically.”
Gerald Thomas, III covers Florida A&M University Athletics for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at gdthomas@gannett.com or on Twitter @3peatgee.
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