Marcus Stokes, a quarterback from Florida who has been surrounded by controversy, finally found a place to play. play college football.
Stokes signed with the University of West Florida on Wednesday, ending a tumultuous recruiting process for the four-star quarterback.
Marcus Stokes was a quarterback recruit who had his scholarship stripped when video surfaced of him using the N-word on social media. He later received another scholarship offer from a Historically Black College and University (HBCU). Stokes tweeted that he received an offer from Albany State University, an HBCU in Albany, Georgia.
(Twitter / @marcusstokes06)
Stokes earned his scholarship to the University of Florida retired in November after a video of him using the N-word surfaced on social media.
In a statement, Stokes said he used the word while «rapping along with the lyrics» to a song.
FORMER PANTHERS COACH MATT RHULE FILES $5 MILLION LAWSUIT IN LOSS PAY DISPUTE: REPORT
«I fully accept the consequences of my actions and respect the Decision of the University of Florida withdraw my scholarship offer to play soccer,» Stokes said in a statement following the news that Florida had withdrawn his scholarship.
“My intention was never to hurt anyone and I recognize that even when accompanying a song, my words still carry a lot of weight. I will strive to be better and become the best version of myself on and off the pitch.»
A helmet of a University of West Florida player sits on the sideline before the NCAA Division II championship game between the West Florida Argonauts and the Texas A&M-Commerce Lions, played on Saturday, December 16, 2017, at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kansas.
(Nick Tre. Smith/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
On Wednesday, Stokes found his home, signing with the Argonauts in Pensacola, Florida.
«We brought him in and we didn’t really talk much about football. It was about everything that had happened with him in the past and we just made sure his (public) apology was sincere,» head coach Kaleb Nobles said, according to the newspaper. Pensacola News.
JADEN RASHADA, QUARTERBACK WHO REQUESTED THE RELEASE OF FLORIDA NIL DEBACLE, CHOOSES THE STATE OF ARIZONA
Nobles said he spoke to returning team members and received the go-ahead to sign Stokes.
«He’s been through a lot when it comes to recruiting,» Nobles said. «We feel like he’s a very good addition as a person. We feel like the talent is there, but we feel like the talent is there with each one of these kids.»
Marcus Stokes was a quarterback recruit who had his scholarship stripped when video surfaced of him using the N-word on social media. He later received another scholarship offer from a Historically Black College and University (HBCU). Stokes tweeted that he received an offer from Albany State University, an HBCU in Albany, Georgia.
(Twitter / @marcusstokes06)
Last week, Stokes received an offer from the Albany State Golden Rams, a historically black public university in Albany, Georgia.
On Friday, Albany State football head coach Quinn Gray apologized for his decision to «talk to a student who did not meet his expectations.»
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
While Gray did not name Stokes in the statement, the school president reportedly rebuked the head coach for the offer, according to HBCU Gameday.
Fox News Digital contacted Gray to confirm if Stokes still had an offer from the university.
Marcus Stokes was a quarterback recruit who had his scholarship stripped when video surfaced of him using the N-word on social media. He later received another scholarship offer from a Historically Black College and University (HBCU). Stokes tweeted that he received an offer from Albany State University, an HBCU in Albany, Georgia.
(Twitter / @marcusstokes06)
Stokes threw for 1,867 passing yards and 14 touchdowns as a senior at Nease High School in Florida.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
«For us, our coaching staff and our student-athletes are fully supportive of bringing Marcus as part of the team,» said UWF Athletic Director Dave Scott. “His sincere public apologies from him earned him that consideration for us. At UWF we want to have an inclusive and respectful environment for all of our students.
«And part of our tagline is to build champions for life, so we want to develop our student-athletes to be better citizens and good members of society. (In meeting with him) we just wanted to make sure he would meet the standards what to have in the University of West Florida be good members of society and continue to grow as a person».
Fox News’ Ryan Gaydos contributed to this report