Jeremy Spillman

Hello. My name is Beau Smith. I'm a senior offensive lineman on the Lipscomb Academy football team. I want to clarify that this message is on behalf of the players - not the parents, not the coaches - the players on the Lipscomb Acadmey football team. I have played football for 13 years of my life. For as long as I can even remember, my life has revolved around the game, revolved around the love of brotherhood and competition. My 13 years of football is now coming to an end because of something I had nothing to do with. Along with me, 16 other seniors are being stripped of their promised and earned postseason because they are being punished for something they did not do. 84 players are being stripped of their brotherhood because of something they did not do. Should a man suffer consequences for a crime he did not commit? There is an obvious and logical answer to that, but the morally correct solution is being overlooked. A season unaffected by the malpractice in question is being cut short not because of anything the players did, yet the players are being punished? Why should we suffer the mistakes of other men? We don't play the game of football because we are told to, we don't play the game of football because we were built to, we play the game of football because it is what we love. It is where we find passion and joy. You are choosing to take this passion and joy away as a response to an offense that in no way has anything to do with a single member of our brotherhood, our family. For those of us players who rely on the game for our future, we are being deprived of any further opportunities to improve our film and recruiting processes. In a way, you are choosing to take away opportunities for the betterment of our future because of a decision to punish the players for allegations of decisions made by adults. Senior quarterback Jackson Kilburg has been given three opportunities to be our starting quarterback. In those three games, Jackson has gone undefeated, achieved around 800 total yards and 8 touchdowns scored, not to mention his leading of a comeback and upset against the #1 team in the state of Tennessee just three days ago. Jackson has proven his value in these three games, but a potential four more games more of film and development are being taken from him as a result of something he did not do. Through his three games, Jackson has made a name for himself, so why should his name be diminished because of the wrongdoing of others? Again, why should opportunity be withdrawn from those who did not do anything wrong? Other seniors, Jackson just as an example, still have things to prove. They need the playoffs. Their future depends on this game, and their future is being negatively affected by an illogical decision. We, the players, did nothing wrong. That is an undeniable fact. Still, you are demolishing our foundation of football by unfairly choosing to punish us. By taking away our post season, you are taking away what we love. You are taking away opportunity that we have worked hard for and earned. Some will never again play as a part of a brotherhood we are so blessed to take part in. Please give us our chance to play in the post season. It is the just thing to do. Thank you, Beau Smith @TSSAA @LAmustangFB @LipscombAcademy @Tennessean