University of Miami edge rusher Damon Wilson II received violent messages following the double-overtime win against Florida State University on Saturday.
Wilson posted screenshots of the messages on social media Sunday morning following the game, with the caption “Glimpse into the life of a black-student athlete.”
The messages included racial slurs, homophobic slurs, mentions of slavery and violent threats to Wilson and his family.
The sender was identified as Kade McLendon, an FSU alumni and a computer technician for the Florida Bar.
McLendon was placed on administrative leave on Tuesday by the Florida Bar as an internal investigation took place. McLendon was fired today on Wednesday, Oct. 21 following the brief investigation.
The Florida Bar released the following statement on X:
“Those messages were reprehensible and inconsistent with the mission, values, and policies of The Florida Bar,” the statement read. “While McLendon denies sending the messages, he did not provide evidence sufficient to demonstrate to The Florida Bar’s satisfaction that his Instagram account had been compromised. As of today, The Florida Bar has terminated McLendon’s employment.”
In Miami’s player press conference yesterday, Wilson’s teammates firmly supported him.
“It’s our brother, so anything he needs us to do to be there for him, we’re there,” said tight end Elija Lofton.
Offensive lineman and captain Ryan Rodriguez echoed Lofton’s sentiment.
“That’s my brother and I embrace him,” he said. “It’s more than a game, that’s my brother.”
Despite the incident, the Hurricanes are now ranked No. 1 in the country for the first time since 2002 and remain focused on the road ahead.
“Ultimately, we have to just keep focused,” linebacker Chase Smith said. “Block out all noise, whether that’s offensive or good.”
Miami is set to host Pittsburgh at noon on Saturday.
The University of Miami has not released a statement on the incident.