Monday must have been the hardest day in Will Grier’s life.
Following reports of the redshirt freshman quarterback’s 12-month suspension after testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs, Grier didn’t shy away from his completely avoidable mistake.
He walked to the lectern, addressed the media and admitted he had let everyone supporting him down.
Family, friends and teammates alike watched as a teary-eyed Grier accepted he had gone from the starting quarterback of a top-10 team to a cautionary tale about the necessity of consulting with the team’s medical staff before taking any supplements.
The news of the suspension — and the aftermath we are currently living in — brought a flurry of emotions and questions, some deserved and some quixotic.
What supplement did Grier take?
The university denied it was Ligandrol, but couldn’t disclose what substance he took that was against NCAA regulations due to student privacy policies.
Why didn’t he check with the medical staff?
Grier and the rest of the Gators must have been frequently reminded of the importance in consulting with doctors to verify which substances are legal to take.
There’s no way he didn’t know to confer with a doctor — he must have assumed the supplement he was taking wouldn’t get him in trouble.
And the biggest one: Why does the NCAA suspend student-athletes for a full calendar year for a banned over-the-counter supplement?
If it’s easily purchasable online or in a workout supplement store like Complete Nutrition or GNC, there should be punishments of varying degrees rather than a uniform length.
If it’s prohibited for athletes, who invest in their bodies hoping it leads them to athletic success and, therefore, income, why is the average Joe who works out three times a week at Planet Fitness allowed to purchase it without consequence?
Student-athletes are held to a higher standard, and that’s due to a variance of factors.
The fans, who expect the team they cheer for to blindly follow rules they may not agree with.
The media — social and beat writers — who feel entitled to an opinion, subsequently subjecting athletes and the public to it.
And, worst of all, the NCAA, who insists its student athletes are amateurs, yet continually subjects them to Big Brother-esque regulations and greater restrictions than prisoners.
In short, Grier’s situation sucks.
He can’t play while UF appeals the length of his suspension, and he can’t travel with the Gators to support his teammates.
And Gator fans, it’s OK.
You’re allowed to be mad.
Grier, who comes from a family that became a household name due to Vine and Twitter and is aware of the scrutiny that comes with public success, understands the emotion vested in him by Florida fans.
You needed him. You needed him to succeed, needed him to lead the Gators back to dominance, needed him to bring about a new era of football glory at UF .
Grier must know he let you down, and that pain won’t vanish for a long time.
He had it all — a budding star with a firm grasp on the starting quarterback role and a chance to be the face of UF’s revival.
But his career may never recover before it even took off.
In a world where athletes are heroes, Grier proved to be his own Kryptonite.
Follow Graham Hall on Twitter @Graham311
UF quarterback Will Grier drops back to pass during Florida's 14-9 win against Kentucky on Sept. 19, 2015, at Commonwealth Stadium in Lexington, Kentucky
