ASU's Quinn Gray apologizes after controversial scholarship offer

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By Joe Whitfield
Sports Editor

ALBANY — Less than a week after being introduced to the community as Albany State’s new head football coach, Quinn Gray has issued an apology for offering a controversial recruit a scholarship to play football at Albany State. Gray said in the apology that he made the offer in haste and did not fully consider the impact of making such an offer.

Marcus Stokes, a white, four-star quarterback who had committed to the University of Florida, posted on Instagram last week that he had received an offer to play for the Golden Rams by Coach Gray. Stokes lost his offer at the University of Florida after an Instagram post showed a recording of him using a racial slur while singing a rap song.

Albany State University did not address the controversy publicly but HBCU game day reported that ASU president Marion Ross Fedrick refused to allow the scholarship offer.

The Gray apology was posted on the school’s athletic website (asugoldenrams.com) and in part reads, “Let me start with a humble apology. An apology for not honoring the tradition and history of ASU and for letting many of you down. I didn’t uphold the Ramily standard that I know you expect. Please know that my decision to speak with a student that did not meet your expectations was unacceptable. I only wanted the best for our team, athletes, and institution when I invited the student to visit ASU. As I say to our players, “there is a consequence to every action.” The consequences of my actions brought pain to our University. I was trying to help a student get back in competition, and in my haste, I did not consider the impact the decision would have on all of you. Frankly, it wasn’t my place to use ASU as the platform for redemption in this case. I regret that I used flawed judgment. If given the opportunity, I will do better.”

Stokes has since posted on his Instagram that Alabama A&M, another HBCU, has offered him a scholarship to play.

Special Photo: Reginald Christian, Albany State UniversityJoeWhitfield[email protected]