Florida A&M Resumes Football Activities amid Investigation into Locker Room Rap Video

After all football activities at Florida A&M were suspended by head coach Willie Simmons on Friday night due to the release of a rap video filmed in the team's locker room, the school announced that team activities have been cleared to resume on Tuesday.

The school's announcement stated that an investigation into the unauthorized video is ongoing.

According to ESPN's Adam Rittenberg, the video was released by Real Boston Richey for his song "Send A Blitz." The song contained references to guns and drugs plus sexually explicit lyrics.

In addition to several Florida A&M players being featured in the video, Richey was among multiple people seen wearing a Rattlers helmet and he also wore a team polo shirt that included the Nike logo. Also, the song's promo art on Apple Music includes Florida A&M's green and orange color scheme and appears to be a football play design, per Gerald Thomas III of the Tennessee Democrat.

Simmons said in a statement that the video contained "graphic language that is not consistent with Florida A&M's core values, principles and beliefs and an internal investigation is underway to determine who authorized the use of not only the athletic facility at Galimore-Powell, but also licensed apparel that potentially violates university branding and licensing agreements."

Simmons added that while he is "a proud proponent of free speech" and supports "all forms of musical expressions," he believes the football team "has a responsibility to protect the University's image."

Florida A&M is coming off a 9-2 finish to last season and will begin its 2023 campaign on Sept. 3 against Jackson State.