Redshirt junior Ike Whitaker has been indefinitely suspended from team activities for missing a wide receiver meeting Wednesday morning.
Whitaker said that he missed a 7 a.m. meeting with his fellow wide receivers and coach Kevin Sherman after accidentally oversleeping. Whitaker came in after the meeting began, met with Sherman, and then sat down with head coach Frank Beamer at 10 a.m.
"He told me I'm suspended ... for missing a meeting," Whitaker said. Whitaker felt his punishment did not correlate with his actions.
"I shouldn't have missed the meeting but I shouldn't have been suspended from the team because there's a number of people that miss meetings all the time," Whitaker said. "Other people miss meetings and are still on the team. There's certain people who miss meetings over and over and they are not suspended."
Whitaker also said that he is considering his options after this most recent suspension, including possibly transferring colleges.
"I have some decisions I have to make about what I want to do about schools, if I want to stay or here or if I want to transfer," Whitaker said. "I have some decisions to make about what's best for me. I'm human; I have feelings. I want to play just like everybody else."
Whitaker said he would work hard and do what is required of him by the coaches to be reinstated.
Whitaker said he is still on scholarship and will continue to attend classes.
This season, Whitaker has played in three of five games. His only receiving yards for the year came during the season opener against Eastern Carolina University, in which he caught three passes for 14 yards.
Whitaker moved to wide receiver from quarterback in 2007 when then-freshman Tyrod Taylor was added to the depth chart. Whitaker said he took the position change in stride, trying to work hard to gain playing time.
Whitaker said it's unfortunate that his efforts on the practice field have not garnered him opportunities during games.
"I mean practice-wise and football-wise I'm busting my tail everyday out there and I'm making plays out there," Whitaker said. "(Not playing in games) sucks, it just sucks. I think I deserve playing time, of course."
Director of Football Operations John Ballein had no comment.
As of yesterday afternoon, Whitaker was no longer listed on the hokiesports.com Web site football team roster.
Whitaker has been suspended from the team before. During his 2005-06 redshirt season, Whitaker was ruled ineligible for one month, from March 2, 2006 through April 3, 2006.
In December 2006, he entered alcohol rehab at the Mount Regis Center in Salem, missing the Chick Fil-A bowl game. Whitaker said that he has had trouble with alcohol before, but that it was not the reason for his most recent suspension.
"I have kind of been all over the place," Whitaker said. "I got in trouble my freshman year, and that set me back a little bit. But I got help and came back stronger."
Whitaker also said that he attended karaoke night at Top Of The Stairs on Tuesday, the night before the meeting. Multiple witnesses said they saw Whitaker at TOTS until at least 1 a.m. Wednesday morning.
Last season, Whitaker did not travel to Tech's game Clemson game after Beamer suggested he take the week off to "think about his future."
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The politics of college football are tricky. It is nothing but business and playing favorites. Yes, Ike missed a meeting, however as of last year the standard procedure was to do extra conditioning running after practices. I believe that Ike is being unfairly treated when you look at some of the other players who have gone through the VT program. Many of our players who were drafted last year missed meetings or were late and not so much as an extra lap around the field after practice. The coaches decide who will be talented. Look at our wide receiver situation, Cory Holt and Ike Whitaker are our "veteran" players and they barely see the field. However freshman who are much more inexperienced, do. Look at who gets removed from the team, and when. Marcus Vick, Brandon Ore, Zach Luckett, they were all talented players and all received more leniency when they got in trouble. Take a lesser known player who hasn't seen much playing time, if they were to do something similar to their actions, they would be removed no questions asked.
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Well, here's the thing--he has a history of off the field issues (he went into alcohol rehab last year). A line was drawn in the sand and Ike crossed it.
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I think there's more to this than is being said. Clearly, Ike wouldn't be kicked off the team for missing ONE meeting. It is either a culmination of other events (like the alcohol rehab last year) or something else happened and it's just being covered up. Ike probably shouldn't have commented, because now VT coaches are going to feel the pressure to explain. The truth will come out!
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He was in rehab and the last place he needs to be is at TOTS every Tuesday night. Don't his teammates care about his well-being? Instead of partying WITH him, maybe they should try to let him understand he has a problem. The guy doesn't need to be around alcohol, its obvious he needs to sober up if he wants to make an impact on the college level.
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I'm seeing comments like "It is nothing but business and playing favorites" and "I believe that Ike is being unfairly treated when you look at some of the other players who have gone through the VT program". Look, either you trust the judgement of Beamer and his staff, or you don't. OR, either you believe what Ike has said, or you don't. NONE of us here looking in from the outside will ever know the complete story. But we can take several points into consideration. Frank Beamer is a paid professional who has totally built the program into what it is today. Ike is a young man who has admitted to having a problem with alcohol, and has run afoul of the team disciplinary program on more than one occasion. Looking at this situation from that angle, I have no choice other than to trust the judgement of the head coach and get his back, and hope that Ike, if/when given an opportunity to take advantage of a 2nd or 3rd chance, will come through and get his act together.
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For those that think his teammates do not care, you are incorrect. Kenny Lewis is Ike's go-to-guy, or at least he was when Ike admitted he had a problem with alcohol. I read many articles last year discussing the support his team was giving him. I personally do not care what they guy does Saturday night after the game. However, when my money is providing him with food to eat, books to read, and a free education, he owes me, as well as his team the respect enough to put class and football before cold beer and an open mic at TOTS. Also, Coach Beamer probably understands he was easy on the people "past vt player" mentioned. He also took a lot of grief for this. Could it be possible he now knows that allowing improper behavior on and off the field is not tolerated by the Hokie Nation?????
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Football player suspended from team, slapped in face by real world.
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