GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Florida defensive lineman Brendan Bett publicly apologized on Monday for spitting at South Florida offensive lineman Cole Skinner, saying “there is no excuse for my actions.”
Bett also apologized to his teammates earlier in the day.
“I want to sincerely apologize for my actions in the game this past Saturday,” Bett wrote in social media posts. “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.”
He then mentioned Skinner specifically, saying, “I’m truly sorry to both you and your family.”
Coach Billy Napier said earlier Monday that the now-unranked Gators (1-1) have yet to decide whether Bett would be suspended for Saturday night’s game at No. 3 LSU (2-0).
“The kid is remorseful,” Napier said. “He feels as if he let the team down. In general, 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 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.”
Napier said Bett would face “internal discipline,” which could mean daily runs early every morning during the week. He also could be fined as part of his name, image and likeness contracts.
“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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