Dismissed Florida DB missed games in 2018 after allegedly putting hands on tutor's neck (Updated)
Florida defensive back John Huggins has reportedly been dismissed from the team.
Both the Orlando Sentinel and Rivals’ Gators Territory reported that Huggins was no longer a part of the team. There has been no reason given for his dismissal. Gators coach Dan Mullen said earlier in the week that Huggins had been missing practice because of a “family situation.”
Huggins missed time in 2018 after he allegedly put his hands on a tutor’s neck. The original story about those allegations is below.
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Florida defensive back John Huggins missed five games during the 2018 season. According to Dan Mullen, that absence was, at least in part, due to an accusation of violence toward a female tutor.
Huggins has not practiced at all so far in fall camp because of what Mullen termed a “family situation” on Tuesday. The October incident was brought to light when a reporter asked Mullen if Huggins’ current absence was related to the fall police report.
No charges were filed in the incident, though Huggins was referred to Florida’s student conduct process. Mullen said the discipline from the accusation has “all been handled.”
However, according to the report, Huggins allegedly placed both of his hands around her neck when she told him she was going to keep the phone until he returned; she then tells UFPD that she told Huggins he can have the phone and he then left. He reportedly did return after picking up his jacket but the report states that he left five minutes later. The complainant told officers she had red marks on her neck but by the time the officers arrived they were gone.
Multiple accusations of violence against women by UF players
The revelation of the allegations against Huggins is one of many accusations of violence toward women against Florida players in Mullen’s short tenure with the university.
Quarterback Jalon Jones transferred after two accusations of sexual battery, defensive back Brian Edwards — another player who transferred — was accused of battery against his girlfriend, and Justin Watkins, one of the members of Mullen’s original UF signing class, was arrested twice in three months in the summer of 2018.
Staffer Otis Yelverton also is no longer employed by the school after he was accused of cyber-stalking his ex-girlfriend.
When explaining the way that Florida handled the accusations against Jones, who was not charged, Mullen said Florida spends a lot of time educating its players on good decision making. He echoed that theme again on Tuesday, though given the number of allegations that have been made, it’s worth wondering if the education is actually achieving its purpose.
“We do a lot. How many of them were actually charged?” Mullen asked before pausing to continue. “Part of it is also — there’s a lot out there, you know what I mean? We do a lot of education on our team with that stuff, obviously I’m a big anti-violence against women person. I’m also a person that I really want to have all the information as I make decisions on what happens in different situations. And it’s one of the toughest deals in the world today because it’s a jump to conclusion on every detail that happens sometimes.”
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Nick Bromberg is a writer for Yahoo Sports.
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