Florida defensive lineman Brendan Bett apologized Monday after being ejected for spitting in the face of USF offensive lineman Cole Skinner during their game Saturday.
“I want to sincerely apologize for my actions in the game this past Saturday,” Bett wrote in an Instagram post. “I let down my teammates, coaches, family and all of Gator Nation. Our coaches always instill in us the value of sportsmanship and I crossed the line. I also want to apologize to South Florida. That’s not the person or player I strive to be. I made a terrible mistake and it won’t happen again.”
Following a snap in the fourth quarter, Bett got off the ground and stepped into Skinner’s face, proceeding to spit and turn away before getting shoved by Skinner.
He received an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and was tossed from the game, and the sequence ended up proving costly for the Gators.
On the next play, USF quarterback Byrum Brown completed a 29-yard pass to Alvon Isaac to reach the Florida 32-yard line, eventually allowing Nico Gramatica to connect on a 20-yard field goal as time expired to secure the Bulls’ 18-16 upset over the No. 13 Gators.
Head coach Billy Napier told reporters Monday that Bett will face “some internal discipline,” though he declined to reveal if that means a suspension for Saturday’s game against LSU, according to ESPN.
“I think he feels as if he let the team down,” Napier said of Bett on Monday, according to ESPN. “It was out of character for him. He made a mistake, and he compromised the team. He made a selfish decision, he misrepresented our fans, our alumni, the university. When a young man comes into your office, and that’s his immediate concern, is how he didn’t represent this place the right way, I think that’s a good indication of his attitude towards it.”
Then, hours later, Bett, a redshirt sophomore who transferred to Florida after two years at Baylor, shared his apology.
“To Cole Skinner #56,” Bett wrote in his Instagram post. “There is no excuse for my actions. I’m truly sorry to both you and your family. To my family and friends…I know that my actions didn’t reflect the way I was raised and I regret the disappointment I caused. I take full responsibility. I pray that we can all move forward. Thanks for believing in me and I won’t let you down again.”
Bett’s spitting incident marked the second in a football game in three days after star Eagles defender Jalen Carter was ejected from their opener Thursday for spitting in the face of Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
