Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte apologized for the football team's viral and "inappropriate" celebrations during the Tennessee win, calling them "embarrassing."
In the 20-17 road win over the Volunteers,
star defensive lineman Colin Simmons got flagged after recording a sack for "simulating using the restroom" in his celebration. Later in the game, running back Raleek Brown celebrated a touchdown by running his hand through his crotch, sniffing his hand and pretending to pass out, which he said he got from a TikTok dance. Brown was not flagged on the play.
The two celebrations led Del Conte to address them in his weekly "Forty Acres Insider" post on Texas' athletic website, calling them "major issues to address."
"I'm not happy about that, I know none of us are, and it was embarrassing to our proud and widely respected football team, athletics program and university," Del Conte wrote. "It certainly raised very warranted concerns that many of you shared with me, drew a lot of attention, and I understand why."
Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said on Monday, Sept. 28 he addressed the "unacceptable" celebrations with the players and alluded to them facing discipline, although nothing was specified. Simmons apologized for it postgame.
"As (Sarkisian) said, it is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. The message is clear – the players conduct did not reflect the values of Texas Athletics or our university and cannot happen again," Del Conte said. "I also want to add my apology to our Longhorn community and everyone who expects better from Texas. We should represent this university with class, dignity and respect at all times, and in those moments, we fell short.
"I do recognize that these are young men who made mistakes, and this is a meaningful learning experience. They have owned their mistakes, and those actions are not reflective of who they are. They are good people who made poor choices – they know it, we know it, and they, along with our entire team, will grow from this."
Texas has a bye in Week 5 and will play next on Saturday, Oct. 10 in the Red River Rivalry against Oklahoma at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Texas AD calls out football viral celebrations 'embarrassing'
