FSU OL Josh Ball Accused of Dating Violence in Filing for Legal Protection

A Florida woman filed for legal protection from Florida State freshman offensive lineman Josh Ball on Monday citing multiple instances of alleged physical abuse.

According to Matt Baker of the Tampa Bay Times, 20-year-old Sandra Sellers said Ball used violence against her on several occasions dating back to last year, including three physical attacks.

Sellers wrote, "He is a violent person, and I'm scared he's going to take it too far," regarding Ball in a sworn petition.

She also described the abuse she allegedly suffered at the hands of Ball, beginning in December 2016 when he allegedly slapped her.

Sellers alleged that on March 15, Ball grabbed her and shoved her into a closet. She added that two weeks later, Ball allegedly pushed her on the floor, left a bruise on her leg by smacking her and bent her car key so she couldn't leave before deleting pictures of her injuries from her phone.

With regard to the allegations, Florida State released the following statement: "We are aware of the matter, which is currently being reviewed by the appropriate authorities. The student-athlete's status with the team is unchanged. We will have no further comment."

After redshirting last season, Ball has been a key part of FSU's offensive line in 2017, starting each of the past four games at left tackle.

The 6'8" native of Fredericksburg, Virginia, was ranked as the No. 99 overall recruit and No. 11 offensive tackle and was considered a 4-star prospect in the class of 2016 by 247Sports.