"I am God" -- either that or FSU's QB

[Danny White]

Sexton repeatedly referred to himself as 'God'
By Ivan Maisel
ESPN.com

Suspended Florida State quarterback Wyatt Sexton was taken to a Tallahassee hospital on Monday evening by local police after causing a disturbance in the street, then identifying himself to police as "God" and the "son of God."

Sexton was not arrested.

Florida State assistant athletic director Rob Wilson would not comment on the incident, but did reveal that coach Bobby Bowden suspended Sexton on June 3 for an unspecified violation of team rules.

Sexton, the son of running backs coach Billy Sexton, played in 10 games last season, completing 55 percent of his passes (139-of-252) for 1,661 yards with 8 touchdowns and 8 interceptions. He finished spring practice as the first-team quarterback, ahead of second-year players Xavier Lee and Drew Weatherford.

According to the Tallahassee Police Department report, when a police officer responded to a call regarding unusual behavior on Monday evening, the officer found Sexton lying face down in the middle of the street.

Sexton, friends told the officer, had attended the rock festival in Tennessee that featured the Dave Matthews Band and returned to town Monday.

Witnesses told police that Sexton had been making strange gestures, and at one point jumped onto a car. When asked to identify himself, Sexton "yelled that he was 'God,' " the report said, and acted in a manner irrational enough that the officer pepper-sprayed him.

Only when police put him in a patrol vehicle did Sexton identify himself by name. As police transported him to the hospital, and upon arrival, he reverted to identifying himself as "God" or the "son of God."

Tallahassee police spokesman John T. Newland said Tuesday that common procedure in such cases is that the person in custody is taken to a psychiatric facility. He did not know if that had been the case for Sexton.

At the end of spring practice, Bowden said, with archrival Miami as the opening opponent, that he would take experience over talent at the outset of the season. Since Weatherford is recovering from offseason ankle surgery, Lee appears to be the front-runner to take over the offense.

According to the police report filed Monday, one of Sexton's friends who went to Tennessee with him said that Sexton "has been very stressed out the past week over him being the starting quarterback in football for FSU."

 

[trickblue]

Wow... you don't hear of too many people doing acid these days...

 

[Danny White]

Wow... you don't hear of too many people doing acid these days...

What makes you think that?

Sexton, friends told the officer, had attended the rock festival in Tennessee that featured the Dave Matthews Band and returned to town Monday.

 

[TruBlueCowboy]

Wow... you don't hear of too many people doing acid these days...

That's funny, that's the first thing I thought too.

 

[TruBlueCowboy]

Just an update to this story. I heard on the radio that they discovered lyme disease was causing him to go crazy. He's going to miss the season while they try to treat him.

 

[k19]

Just an update to this story. I heard on the radio that they discovered lyme disease was causing him to go crazy. He's going to miss the season while they try to treat him.

They sure did. It was on the local here since we get Tallhassee channels on Directv. I was going to post an update and forgot to *shrugs*

Posted on Fri, Jun. 17, 2005
Sexton's dad says drug abuse is 'not the problem'

By Jack Corcoran and Steve Ellis

DEMOCRAT STAFF WRITERS


Three days after bizarre behavior led to the hospitalization of Florida State quarterback Wyatt Sexton, his father, assistant head coach Billy Sexton, said drug abuse is "not the problem."

"Wyatt is under the care of physicians for a medical problem, and at this time he will remain under their care," Billy Sexton said in a press release Thursday. "His doctors have informed us that drug abuse is not the problem. At this point, our focus as a family is to ensure that our son, whom we love and support in every regard, gets the care that he needs until he makes a full and complete recovery."

Wyatt Sexton reportedly jumped on cars and did push-ups in the middle of a residential street on Monday. Fearing that he was a danger to himself or others, Tallahassee police had him hospitalized.

Sexton had returned home earlier that day from the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in Manchester, Tenn. FSU teammate D.J. Norris, who also attended the event with friends, said that Sexton appeared fine when their paths crossed.

"I saw him Sunday before all this happened," Norris said following Thursday's voluntary workout. "He seemed normal. We talked like everything was normal."

Sexton's teammates said they have not visited him this week but plan to as a group.

"The outpouring of love and support from so many people for Wyatt and our family has been overwhelming and a source of great comfort to all of us," Billy Sexton said. "We request, however, that the media understand and respect the privacy that we seek for Wyatt and that he needs at this time."

FSU revealed Tuesday that Sexton had been suspended from the football team two weeks earlier for violating undisclosed team rules. He started seven games last season and was the favorite to win the starting job in the preseason.
http://www.tallahassee.com/mld/tallahassee/sports/colleges/florida_state_university/11915405.htm

Wyatt Sexton Diagnosed With Lyme Disease
The junior quarterback will miss the 2005 season.

July 9, 2005

Tallahassee, Fla. -- Florida State junior quarterback Wyatt Sexton flew to Hermitage, PA, Thursday to consult with Dr. Chandra Swami, the Sexton family confirmed through FSU's Sports Information Office on Saturday. A world renowned specialist in the field of Lyme Disease, Dr. Swami confirmed the diagnosis of Lyme Disease, which has infected Sexton's organs. Dr. Swami has recommended intensive i.v. anti-biotic therapy over a period of months. The disease is curable, but the estimated recovery time for his advanced stage of infection is several months.

In a statement released through FSU's Sports Information Office, Wyatt's parents, Joy and Billy Sexton, said: "We appreciate the many expressions of support for our son shown by those in our community, church and the Florida State football family. It has been a very difficult time for Wyatt. It has also been hurtful to Wyatt and our family to see some media reports that were simply not true. We expect him to fully recover. In the meantime, we ask that his privacy be respected."

Sexton is a 6-4, 215, junior who emerged from spring practice as the first team quarterback for the Seminoles. FSU will begin practice on August 9. Sexton redshirted as a true freshman in 2002, but the NCAA provides a process for obtaining additional redshirt seasons, which would leave him with two years of eligibility.


QUOTE FROM DR. S. CHANDRA SWAMI

"Wyatt has active Lyme Disease that has resulted in neuropsychiatric and cardiovascular deficits. I have strongly recommended intensive therapy with a goal to obtain an optimal state of health. This should include academics and athletics. He should not be stressed by these two disciplines for now."


QUOTES FROM HEAD COACH Bobby Bowden
"We have been waiting for the examinations to be completed and a report from the doctors before we made a decision. It looks like Wyatt will need several months of treatment and will have to miss the season. We will seek a sixth year of eligibility from the NCAA.

Going into this, the only thing we did was come up with a plan A and a plan B. Plan A, of course, was if Wyatt was healthy and ready to go. Plan B was what we would do if he wasn't able to go. Obviously, now we have to go with plan B.

Xavier (Lee) and Drew (Weatherford) will start out even when we return to practice and we'll have three-and-a half weeks to see if one can separate himself from the other. If not, we will go into the season with two quarterbacks ready to go.

I feel very good about Xavier and Drew because they look like they have what you are looking for in a quarterback prospect. They don't have the time you would want them to have, that's one thing that isn't in their favor. They will have to speed up the process of getting mentally and physically ready to play because one of them is going to start against Miami. We would love to have experience, but I'd rather have talent over experience. There is definitely a lot of talent there with those two quarterbacks.

It may come down to flipping a coin as to who starts the season. We will go day-to-day with it. They will both get equal reps with the first team no matter what."

 

[Gatorgirl]

Just came out a week or so ago that it is Lyme Disease that caused him to act out...however, something tells me it might be a little more than that? Why else would he miss the WHOLE season?