Notre Dame Football: Michael Floyd Has More at Stake Than Football

For the second time in 14 months, we are talking about alcohol-related incidents involving Notre Dame star receiver Michael Floyd.

While alcohol and athletics have gone hand in hand since the days of the ancient Romans, so have tales of lives being derailed unnecessarily by the drink.

Floyd was pulled over by campus police outside the main gate after allegedly running a stop sign early Sunday morning. According to a St. Joseph's County deputy prosecutor, Floyd failed three field sobriety tests and had a blood alcohol level of 0.19.

This comes after a January, 2010 arrest for underage drinking in Minnesota.

Last July, when 17 Fighting Irish football players were accused of underage drinking at an off-campus party, I made an unpopular series of statements that these players needed to be educated on the effects of alcohol instead of being severely punished.

My comments were met with a bevy of criticism, with the popular consensus being that all kids will drink. 

I, for the most part, agree with that.

The part that can be avoided are the repeat offenses. Many student athletes will make mistakes during the course of their time at school, and the key is to learn from those mistakes.

While some people are speculating that the Will Yeatman situation should be used as a template and that Floyd should never suit up in a Notre Dame uniform again, others are saying that a one-game suspension should suffice.

My opinion is that this is between Michael Floyd and the administration.

At this very moment, everyone with a soap box or an axe to grind is forming an opinion. Kick aside your soapbox, drop your axe and consider what is best for Michael Floyd.

The powers that be are in the position to help make a life-changing decision for Floyd—he has twice now thrust his hand into the fire and been burned.

A dangerous pattern is developing, but instead of handing out severe punishment, the university needs to embrace Floyd and give him the fatherly help that has been the foundation of Notre Dame since the days of Father Edward Sorin and still rings true today.

Sometimes the easy way out is not the best way—it would be simple to tell Floyd to pack his bags and take his problems elsewhere, but the right thing to do isn't quite so easy. Every decision will be dissected by outsiders, but right now, Michael Floyd needs the love and support of his Notre Dame family.

Driving a vehicle after drinking is a serious offense, and if convicted, Floyd will jump through countless hoops imposed by the court system. He does not need every armchair quarterback in America adding to the shame that he already feels after what lies ahead of him.

Now is the time for the university to help one of its own. While helping people in foreign lands is a noble thing to do, help is needed at home right now.

There is more at stake than glory on Saturday afternoons. A young man's future is hanging in the balance right now.

With the courts and everyone else soon to be telling Floyd that he cannot drink, the better course of action might be to educate him about the problems that go along with abusing alcohol—teach Michael that it might be better off for him if he chose not to drink.

Now is not the time to rip the rug out from underneath Michael Floyd, it's time to take care of a young man that needs support from those around him.

I will say, once again, I am not making light of what Floyd is accused of, but I know for a fact that he is not the first person to go through this, and with the help of his family and friends, he can put this chapter of his life behind him.

It won't be easy, but he just may come out of it a better person.