Former offensive tackle Josh Ball not planning to return to Florida State

Wayne McGahee III
Tallahassee Democrat

Former Florida State offensive tackle Josh Ball has announced that he does not plan to return to FSU to play football.

Ball released the statement via Twitter.

"I have made the determination to stay closer to family and not return to Florida State even though I have been cleared and in good standing to do so by the Florida State administration," Ball wrote in the statement.

"I want to thank the FSU coaching staff for working with me and I very much valued my time at Florida State University. Thank you to my teammates-my brothers, who had my back through thick and thin. We will see each other again, on or off the field. While I would love to come back to Tallahassee, at this time, I have decided to stay closer to home and focus on being the best football player, student athlete, and person that I can be.

"Forever thank you to everyone who has reached out with supportive messages and prayers. You truly don't know the meaning of family and friendship until you have been put in the untenable position I have been forced in. I am an advocate of women's rights, equality, and due process & and I always will be. I will never be intimidated nor shamed into stopping the pursuit of my dreams. God Bless and Go Noles."

Ball was suspended from the University by a student judiciary committee in May. Ball was accused of dating violence by another FSU student in 2017.

The victim had filed a petition seeking protection against dating violence in September 2017.

Ball signed an agreement stating that he would stay at least 500 feet from the victim's Tallahassee residence, her parents’ residence, her Tallahassee church, her job, and Tallahassee Community College, as well as 100 feet from FSU's College of Nursing and a stretch of bars along Tennessee St. known as "the strip" in November to avoid a final hearing.

He transferred from FSU to Butler Community College where he played his redshirt sophomore season. 

Ball had been considering returning to FSU once his suspension was over, but ultimately decided against it.

There was a large amount of backlash on social media when The Athletic reported that Ball was considering returning to FSU, including from the victim.

The victim made a Facebook post urging FSU not to allow him back once news came out that Ball was interested in returning to FSU.

Ball started nine games at left tackle for the Seminoles in 2017 and was slated to start at one of the tackle positions before his suspension.

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