Grambling State is a long way from the glory days of Eddie Robinson.
Every player on the winless Grambling football team skipped Wednesday’s afternoon practice after walking out of a meeting with the school’s administration the day before, unhappy with the way the team has been treated, according to the Shreveport Times.
The players had met with school president Frank Pogue, athletic director Aaron James, interim coach George Ragsdale and student government president Jordan Harvey to discuss the reasons the team had traveled by bus to distant road games in Kansas City and Indianapolis, as well as to address the firing of head coach Doug Williams in September.
A source told the Times that players walked out of the meeting as it became increasingly negative, until the entire team was gone.
“It was basically a mutiny,” a source said. “[The team] rode the bus all that way [to Indianapolis], and then come back and are disrespected like that [in Tuesday’s meeting]. [The team] is standing together because they don’t know if anybody else is standing with them.”
University spokesman Will Sutton said the meeting was scheduled to show the administration’s support for the team, and only “some” players left. He says the administration is not upset with the frustrated players.
“[The administration] knew that emotions were raw,” Sutton said. “No matter what, it was going to be a challenge for the team to feel good after this season and last season. That’s part of the reason why we have a new [athletics director] and are looking for a new football coach. The president wanted to make a point that the university supports and appreciates the team and these students, and that the administration will do everything we need to do for the future success of the program.”
The team also has been bothered for some time over what they interpret as disrespect from school officials, the poor condition of athletic facilities and not receiving all meals on road trips. The players were also reportedly upset that assistant coaches didn’t attend the meeting.
Ragsdale did not speak to the media Wednesday morning, but on Monday, he compared the player’s reaction to the coaching change like going through a “divorce.” Williams was fired after the team was blown out in its first two games of the season.
Grambling (0-7, 0-4) has lost 17 straight games to NCAA opponents, including 13 straight SWAC contests.