Earlier today, we put out a timeline of events for the entire Quintez Cephus case from emerging as a star wide receiver at Wisconsin to being charged with sexual assault to potentially going back to the Badgers. I’ll put a link right here, so you can read it.
Go ahead, read it. I’ll wait.
….
Okay, thanks for reading. Welcome back. So now that your mind is refreshed and you remember every little detail, I’ve got some thoughts on this situation.
Why rush to punish?
I do not understand why professional sports leagues continue to deploy its personal conduct policy. Why do leagues need to act so quickly after somebody is accused of wrongdoing? This has been a complete disaster Roger Goodell and the NFL.
Yet, universities are doing the same thing with Title IX investigations. Cephus was suspended from the football team, later dismissed from the football team and expelled from school despite being found not guilty by our criminal justice system.
Less evidence is needed in the Title IX investigations, but setting the precedent that any student accused of misbehaving should be kicked out of school seems like a dangerous one.
Remember in February, the trial was delayed for months because of new evidence that had come in late. Around this time, whether it was before or after we don’t really know, Cephus was expelled. Do we really think the University of Wisconsin had more evidence than attorneys on both sides did?
Not only that, but Cephus was unable to defend himself in the university’s investigation due to the ongoing criminal investigation, which is why he sued the school in March (that lawsuit was dropped, but lawyers said previously they might refile after the trial).
Why not let the courts figure things out? It seems like universities are adding unnecessary work for themselves that will only lead to controversy and no gain.
Just sit back, relax and let somebody else do all the work. That’s what I do in every aspect of my life, and it works flawlessly. Take notes, college administrators.
The return
How about the fact that Cephus wants to return to Wisconsin at all! This is something I never saw coming. The man was expelled by the university and then sued the university. A few months later, he wants to come back.
To that, I say credit to the school, credit to Madison, Wisconsin and credit to his friends, teammates and coaches. He doesn’t even have any ties to Wisconsin as a Georgia native.
Look at all these things that happened with Cephus and he still couldn’t bare to leave Madison. Further proof it’s the greatest city in America.
I’m sure Paul Chryst was surprised as well, and he said the team would absolutely welcome him back to the roster. Remember, Cephus is a guy that made Alex Hornibook look somewhat average, and looking back that should have been enough to put him in contention for a Heisman.
The deadline
Cephus’s attorneys put in a request for him to be readmitted to the university since and gave the school a deadline of this Thursday to make a decision. I love the move, and it’s definitely a strong-armed one trying to put all the pressure on the university.
Wisconsin has the pressure of the court’s ruling, and it is taking a beating in the court of public opinion. Unless somebody presents new evidence that shows Cephus is guilty, the university will continue to take all the slings and arrows from the public. That includes current and former teammates of Cephus, who have been vocal on social media trying to get him back on a football field.
If you know anything about me, you understand I’m not all that intelligent so no way could I stand here and say I know anything about lawyer stuff, but Cephus’s attorneys could be sending a message with this deadline saying the school better cooperate or that lawsuit will be refiled.
Because no matter what, Cephus’s reputation has been damaged, he missed out on a year of football and a semester of school. Oh yeah, and he went more than a year not sure if he would walk away free or be convicted of a crime that could cost him 40 years in prison.
That has to completely take over every day of life for that extended period of time. Life is short. I am 26 years old in my eighth year with gray hair, so I’m taking every year of life I have left. Just think if I had any sort of talent like Cephus does. That would be infuriating.
Also, can he be suing the school while also playing football for the team? I’m pretty sure A-Rod did that with the Yankees, right? That was pretty cool.
Is there more?
Despite being found not guilty of two felony sexual assault charges, Cephus did admit to one wrongdoing during the trial. Telling fellow Badger wide receiver Danny Davis to take a photo of two naked girls sleeping in his room was a bad decision.
But I’m not sure how you uphold the expulsion of Cephus for telling Davis to do something when Davis actually did it and only got a two-game suspension.
But what if there is more to this story that the school knows? What if it’s more than just this incident? Cephus was expelled for violating the school’s non-academic misconduct code. Is it because of this case? You’d have to think so, but what if it’s for something else or an accumulation of events?
Cephus does not have a history of illegal behavior in the past and we’ll see how his academic standing is to return. He did receive Academic All-Big Ten honors during his breakout 2017 season.
So who knows what will happen in the coming days? I certainly don’t because there are still lots of questions and like I said earlier, I’m not that smart.
Photo courtesy of UWBadgers.com
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