FAMU Hazing suspects talks to HBO


southsuburbs

southsuburbs

What I Live By...
http://articles.orlandosentinel.com...717_1_famu-hazing-robert-champion-rikki-wills

FAMU hazing suspect Rikki Wills tells HBO about assault on Robert Champion

FAMU drum major Rikki Wills, the first of 11 felony hazing defendants to speak publicly about the death of his roommate and fellow drum major Robert Champion, insisted he tried to help Champion through the ritual that killed him

Wills, 24, who has pleaded not guilty, spoke with correspondent Frank Deford in an exclusive interview about band hazing for a segment of HBO Real Sports, scheduled to air tonight at 10.

They were hitting him hard. Haymakers. Kidney shots," Wills said. "They had percussion sticks, I saw belts. He's just sitting there like a sitting duck."

Wills, who has been expelled from FAMU, was accompanied to the HBO interview by his attorney, Bill Sharpe, who formerly served as an assistant public defendant in Orange County and maintains a practice in Orlando.
 



Why does FAMU have old ass drum majors. Champion was 26 and this guy is 24...what they in grad school or something?
 
The Founder said:
Why does FAMU have old ass drum majors. Champion was 26 and this guy is 24...what they in grad school or something?
Click to expand...

Who knows. It looks like they just keep letting folks stay for as long as they want. We had some schools do it in the SWAC as well back in the day. Don't know if that is still going on now. One thing I always loved about Doc Greggs was that he said you were 4 and done. Get your jacket and move on. We may have had some kids who sat out a year but come back just to get their 4 years in. Or in some cases he may have asked certain folks to march a 5th rip if he felt like he needed their leadership and they were in school. If anything you had to hope you could survive the black man for 4 years. LOL.
 
JR said:
Who knows. It looks like they just keep letting folks stay for as long as they want. We had some schools do it in the SWAC as well back in the day. Don't know if that is still going on now. One thing I always loved about Doc Greggs was that he said you were 4 and done. Get your jacket and move on. We may have had some kids who sat out a year but come back just to get their 4 years in. Or in some cases he may have asked certain folks to march a 5th rip if he felt like he needed their leadership and they were in school. If anything you had to hope you could survive the black man for 4 years. LOL.
Click to expand...

That's how Chester became Doc's assistant. Once Doc got to Southern, he realized Chester had already been in the band a good while.
 
This is going to get ugly again. They gonna start pointing fingers in every direction. Those old azz mofo's should have been working on their 2nd promotion at a job somewhere instead of being a dang drum-major in college.

I wish I would see someone that old in the BOOM. After 4 years, it's time to move on. Even back in the old days, people used to look at you crazy if you came back for a 5th year while in Grad school. :lol:
 
http://www.tampabay.com/features/media/hazing-death-described-by-famu-student-facing-charges/1240838

The first student to speak publicly among those charged with crimes in the hazing scandal at Florida A&M University has told HBO's Real Sports he tried to protect the drum major who died.

Robert started panicking. … He was like, 'I can't breathe, can't breathe,' " said Wills about Champion's reaction after the beating. "He said he couldn't see. … He started saying, 'Oh Lord, Jesus, please help me. Please help me.' Those were probably the last words he said."

Wills, 24, told Real Sports he endured the marching band's hazing in ways Champion did not. "You have to prove you're tough," said Wills, who noted Champion eventually relented and decided to submit to the ritual in November. "So I did it to show them that, 'Hey, I'm nobody to play with.' "

Deford, an award-winning sportswriter and commentator for Sports Illustrated and NPR, first reported on hazing in marching bands at historically black colleges two years ago for Real Sports.

He said that first story, which featured one female student showing off a plum-sized bruise from a beating and another hefting a huge wooden plank to show how students were beaten, got a curious response. "It didn't seem to make a ripple of difference," Deford said. "I was horrified at what we found and what we showed and it didn't seem to touch anybody. I was shocked."
 
jstate83 said:
This is going to get ugly again. They gonna start pointing fingers in every direction. Those old azz mofo's should have been working on their 2nd promotion at a job somewhere instead of being a dang drum-major in college.

I wish I would see someone that old in the BOOM. After 4 years, it's time to move on. Even back in the old days, people used to look at you crazy if you came back for a 5th year while in Grad school. :lol:
Click to expand...

I needed a 5th year to finish so I did a 5th year in the band. It is not uncommon but after that your mentality should have evolved to the point that marching in the band is MENTALLY beneath you
 
southsuburbs said:
http://www.tampabay.com/features/media/hazing-death-described-by-famu-student-facing-charges/1240838

The first student to speak publicly among those charged with crimes in the hazing scandal at Florida A&M University has told HBO's Real Sports he tried to protect the drum major who died.

Robert started panicking. … He was like, 'I can't breathe, can't breathe,' " said Wills about Champion's reaction after the beating. "He said he couldn't see. … He started saying, 'Oh Lord, Jesus, please help me. Please help me.' Those were probably the last words he said."

Wills, 24, told Real Sports he endured the marching band's hazing in ways Champion did not. "You have to prove you're tough," said Wills, who noted Champion eventually relented and decided to submit to the ritual in November. "So I did it to show them that, 'Hey, I'm nobody to play with.' "

Deford, an award-winning sportswriter and commentator for Sports Illustrated and NPR, first reported on hazing in marching bands at historically black colleges two years ago for Real Sports.

He said that first story, which featured one female student showing off a plum-sized bruise from a beating and another hefting a huge wooden plank to show how students were beaten, got a curious response. "It didn't seem to make a ripple of difference," Deford said. "I was horrified at what we found and what we showed and it didn't seem to touch anybody. I was shocked."
Click to expand...

So basically dude admitted guilt.
 
Blankman2k5 said:
It is not uncommon but after that your mentality should
have evolved to the point that marching in the band is MENTALLY beneath you
Click to expand...


I wouldn't say BENEATH you but I would say, its time to be getting OUT of school
which in turn probably requires you getting OFF the field. :nod:

:tdown: Damn near 30 yrs old and marching in the band? Only if its the ALUMNI band at homecoming.
but....I digress! :smoke:
 



I watched that clip last night... The VP guy from FAMU looked a complete arse, sitting up there saying the Board was being pro-active. Frank DeForde made him look silly... And that made FAMU look even worse....

But what I really didn't like was this - why show clips of the Boom when they weren't mentioned at all in the story???? Show A&M, talk about A&M. Show SU, talk about SU. Leave JSU out of it....
 
Taylor-Made'90 said:
I watched that clip last night... The VP guy from FAMU looked a complete arse, sitting up there saying the Board was being pro-active. Frank DeForde made him look silly... And that made FAMU look even worse....

But what I really didn't like was this - why show clips of the Boom when they weren't mentioned at all in the story???? Show A&M, talk about A&M. Show SU, talk about SU. Leave JSU out of it....
Click to expand...

Naw don't show SU either....
 
JayThomas said:
I wouldn't say BENEATH you but I would say, its time to be getting OUT of school
which in turn probably requires you getting OFF the field. :nod:

:tdown: Damn near 30 yrs old and marching in the band? Only if its the ALUMNI band at homecoming.
but....I digress! :smoke:
Click to expand...

Your mindset at a 23 year old versus that of a 18 year old should be light years apart. So yes, it should be beneath you. You should have experienced life to an extent that you should be looking forward to advancing in your field not a damn half time show. You should be checking on your 401k not a damn 5th quarter on YouTube. Marching band should be beneath you at that point in your life...
 
Blankman2k5 said:
Your mindset at a 23 year old versus that of a 18 year old should be light years apart. So yes, it should be beneath you. You should have experienced life to an extent that you should be looking forward to advancing in your field not a damn half time show. You should be checking on your 401k not a damn 5th quarter on YouTube. Marching band should be beneath you at that point in your life...
Click to expand...

As much as I enjoyed marching in the band at SU. You do be tired by your last rip. For me after all the old heads who came before me were gone and we were the old heads. It was fun, but not as fun as the early days. You do miss it after you leave at first. But I never wanted to go back in march at 22 or 23. Hell I was ready for my Navy career to start at 21-22 so I was like time to make some money and see the world. I enjoy watching the band now and get caught up in the old stories and such and will probably take my old arse out there at Homecoming for Alumni Band. But I can't see wanting to be still in the band in my mid 20s with a bunch of 18 and 19 year olds.
 
Taylor-Made'90 said:
I watched that clip last night... The VP guy from FAMU looked a complete arse, sitting up there saying the Board was being pro-active. Frank DeForde made him look silly... And that made FAMU look even worse....

But what I really didn't like was this - why show clips of the Boom when they weren't mentioned at all in the story???? Show A&M, talk about A&M. Show SU, talk about SU. Leave JSU out of it....
Click to expand...

I watched the clip myself and when I saw SU & JSU on there I was like why are they showing them. First they both in the SWAC and secondly had nothing to do with this issue. No other school should have been shown in that clip. With that being said, these young cats better be careful and watch themselves. Eyes are on everyone. Me personally, after all this, I would be like, I'm done with it. It aint worth my life or degree. But we all know there is gonna be someone that thinks they can out smart & get away with it all.
 
ScreamTeam1 said:
I watched the clip myself and when I saw SU & JSU on there I was like why are they showing them. First they both in the SWAC and secondly had nothing to do with this issue. No other school should have been shown in that clip. With that being said, these young cats better be careful and watch themselves. Eyes are on everyone. Me personally, after all this, I would be like, I'm done with it. It aint worth my life or degree. But we all know there is gonna be someone that thinks they can out smart & get away with it all.
Click to expand...

Honestly, I think it might have something to do with Bryant Gumbel. His first wife had deep ties to Southern University. But like I said before, they want people to think this behavior is stereotypical of all HBCU bands.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top