Coach has shocking response to football player’s reports of extreme homophobic abuse by teammate
A former college football player says he was harassed and brutally attacked by a teammate who thought he was gay, and that the team’s coaches not allowed the abuse to continue, but gave him the worst advice imaginable.In a federal lawsuit, John Haynes describes the intensely homophobic environment he endured while playing at Troy University in Alabama.
He alleges that fellow player Jack Dawson, with whom he also shared a living suite, tormented him during their time as teammates.Dawson’s list of alleged abuses is harrowing — it includes verbal assaults, physical beatings, and forced sodomy.
He’s now facing multiple counts of assault after turning himself into authorities Monday.Related: Pro rugby player’s defense of homophobic teammates is a major fumbleThe attacks allegedly occurred during the fall of 2020.
In one horrifying encounter, Dawson allegedly sodomized Hayes with a pool cue and left him bleeding on the floor. The suit describes another instance in which Dawson allegedly punched Hayes seven times in the face, resulting in a broken nose.The suit also lists three Troy coaches — Brian Blackmon, Jamaal Smith, and Dayne Brown — as defendants.
