GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — On Monday, Florida defensive lineman Brendan Bett issued a public apology for spitting at South Florida offensive lineman Cole Skinner, admitting that “there is no excuse for my actions.”
Bett also apologized to his teammates earlier in the day.
“I want to sincerely apologize for my behavior in the game this past Saturday,” Bett shared in social media posts. “I let down my teammates, coaches, family, and all of Gator Nation. Our coaches always emphasize the importance of sportsmanship, and I overstepped the boundary. I also owe an apology 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.”
He then mentioned Skinner specifically, saying, “I’m truly sorry to both you and your family.”
Coach Billy Napier mentioned earlier on Monday that the now-unranked Gators (1-1) have not yet decided if Bett will be suspended for Saturday night’s matchup against No. 3 LSU (2-0).
“The kid is remorseful,” Napier said. “He feels like he let the team down. Generally, this was out of character for him. He made a mistake and compromised the team. He made a selfish choice and misrepresented our fans, our alumni, and the university.
“When a young man comes into your office and his first concern is about not representing this place correctly, I think that’s a good indication of his attitude towards it.”
Napier stated that Bett would undergo “internal discipline,” potentially involving early morning runs throughout the week. He might also face fines under his name, image, and likeness agreements.
“We’re even having him reach out to the young man on the other team,” the coach added. “So no stone unturned here in terms of maximizing this for him to learn and also for our other players to see how to take ownership of a mistake and go about this the right way.”
Bett was ejected during the final drive against USF on Saturday, a 15-yard penalty that helped propel the Bulls to a stunning victory that landed Napier back on the proverbial hot seat.
Bett, who transferred to Florida this year after two seasons at Baylor, was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct and escorted to the locker room after spitting in Skinner’s facemask. It was one of two penalties assessed against the Gators during an 87-yard drive that set up Nico Gramatica’s 20-yard field goal on the final play.
“To my family and friends, l know that my actions didn’t reflect the way I was raised, and I regret the disappointment I caused,” Bett added. “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 foul came two days after Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter was ejected for spitting on Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott in the NFL opener.
A few days before that, in the Leagues Cup soccer final in Seattle, Inter Miami star Luis Suárez spat toward a Sounders staff member and grabbed a Seattle player by the neck after a loss.
Bett wasn’t the first player under Napier to be ejected for spitting during a game. Defensive lineman Jamari Lyons was tossed for spitting at a Florida State player late in the first half of Florida’s 24-15 home loss to the Seminoles in 2023.
“Brendan, he’s a heck of a player,” quarterback DJ Lagway said after the game. “He made a mistake there. That doesn’t identify his character at all. He’s such a nice guy, nice kid, nice person to have in the locker room. He was in there crying and stuff like that, feeling bad, talking to the coaches, talking to the players, and apologizing for it.
“We don’t ever hold that against anybody. He’s going to come prepared this week.”
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