(Photo by Dave Adamson/Unsplash)
Albany State football coach Quinn Gray issued an apology later Friday offer a scholarship to four-star quarterback Marcus Stokes.
Stokes was stripped of his scholarship from the University of Florida 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 to the words.”
On Tuesday, Stokes announced on social media that he had received an offer from the Albany State Golden Rams, a public, historically black university in Albany, Georgia.
On Friday, Albany State head coach Quinn Gray apologized for his decision to “talk to a student who didn’t meet your expectations.”
While Gray didn’t mention Stokes in the statement, the head coach was reportedly reprimanded by the school’s president for the offer, according to HBCU Gameday.
“Let me begin with a humble apology. An apology for not honoring ASU’s heritage and history and for failing many of you,” Gray said in his statement. “I failed to meet the Ramily standard that I know you expect. Please note that my decision to speak to a student who did not meet your expectations was unacceptable. I wanted only the best for our team, our athletes and our institution when I invited the student to attend ASU. As I say to our players, “Every action has a consequence.”
TIED TOGETHER: The University of Florida Receives a Scholarship from a High School Football Player for Saying an N-Word Online
“The consequences of my actions have caused pain to our university. I was trying to help a student get back into competition and in my haste I didn’t consider the impact the decision would have on all of you. To be honest, it wasn’t my job to use ASU as a platform for repayment in this case. I regret using faulty judgment. If I get the chance, I’ll do better.
Fox News Digital reached out to Gray to confirm if Stokes still had an offer from the university.
“ASU expects excellence,” the statement continued. “The President has made it clear that my actions were not up to that standard. It was never my intention to misrepresent what ASU stands for or to ignore the rich history of this institution. I am fully committed to the university’s mission to support academic excellence and student success.
“Being inducted into the Ramily is something that has to be earned. The Ramily embodies the spirit, authenticity and love forged from the toil of the giants before me. My actions have caused you to question my commitment to our institution and our ancestral consequences, I hope to find a way back to the Ramily.”
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS REPORTS AT FOXNEWS.COM
Stokes also received an offer from Alabama A&M and the University of West Florida this week, according to his Twitter account.
Following news that the Gators had decided to withdraw their bid in November, Stokes apologized in a statement.
“I was in my car listening to rap music, rapping along to the lyrics and posting a video of it on social media,” he wrote. “I deeply apologize for the words I chose in the song. It was hurtful and insulting to a lot of people and I regret that.
“I fully accept the consequences of my actions and respect the University of Florida’s decision to withdraw my scholarship offer to play football. It was never my intention to hurt anyone, and I recognize that even when I’m involved with a song, my words still carry a lot of weight. I will strive to be better and to become the best version of myself on and off the pitch.”
“I know that learning from my mistakes is an important first step.”
GET UPDATES ON THIS STORY AT FOXNEWS.COM
Fox News’ Ryan Gaydos contributed to this report