Kiffin apologizes to Blaze Thompson, Pahokee head coach for insults.

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OVER THE WEEKEND

By Ben Volin | Monday, February 9, 2009, 09:10 AM


OK, the last word on the Lane Kiffin-Nu’Keese Richardson-Pahokee dust-up. Then we’re putting this to bed … until the next time Kiffin opens his mouth.

Pahokee football coach Blaze Thompson said he received phone calls from both Kiffin and Urban Meyer on Saturday, for two different purposes:

Kiffin apologized for publicly ridiculing Thompson, his football staff and the school administration at a breakfast last week in Knoxville. Meyer called to make sure Florida and Pahokee were still cool after the messy episode last week in which Richardson spurned Florida at the last minute to sign with Tennessee.

“He reiterated that he knows the decision, the way that it all went down with Nu’Keese, that Florida handled themselves professionally and Pahokee handled themselves professionally and we are going to maintain a close relationship there,” Thompson said of Meyer. “They proved that they are a team, that Urban is a coach that does what he says. He promised Janoris (Jenkins) a chance to prove himself and playing time and it happened that way. We relish our relationship with Florida, and we are going to continue a positive relationship.”

As for Kiffin, Thompson remains wary of the new Tennessee coach.

Thompson was pleased that Kiffin called to apologize, but is still waiting for a public apology, which Kiffin promised Thompson on Saturday he would make.

The public apology isn’t just for Thompson. The Pahokee Chamber of Commerce drafted a letter and sent it to several high-ranking administrators at Tennessee and the SEC, demanding as well a public apology from Kiffin.

Kiffin said Thursday morning about the recruitment papers of Richardson, “Someone at the school was going to screw it up. The fax machine wouldn’t work, or they would have changed the signatures, all the things that go on in Pahokee.”

“He felt the need to apologize for misrepresenting our town and our school and our people,” Thompson said. “He didn’t make excuses. It wasn’t, ‘I’m sorry you feel that way’ kind of apology. It was, ‘I made a mistake, and didn’t think that any reporters were in the area, but that wasn’t an excuse.’ And I just let him know that he had insulted the town, the school and the staff, and it was a global thing - I was getting calls from Chicago and California - and he would have to make his apology public.”

Thompson sends upwards of a dozen kids to play Division I college football every year, and is stacked with another crop of prospects for 2010, including receiver De’Joshua Johnson, who has already received an offer from Florida.

Thompson said he has to maintain a relationship with Tennessee because Richardson will be up there the next four to five years, but he is not sure how Kiffin or Tennessee would be received in Pahokee if they try to recruit players next year.

“It’s going to be tough,” Thompson said. “But if he does what he says he’s going to do and if he does what’s right, we’ll treat him professionally and let him prove to us he doesn’t feel that way about Pahokee. We’re not ignorant. We’ve done this for years. We’ll treat him professionally until he proves himself otherwise.”

Blame it on a slow February sports schedule, but this story has gotten a lot of national attention since Thursday. Both Richardson and Thompson have been mentioned by name several times on ESPN.

“I don’t relish that my name or Pahokee in general is on ESPN for this situation,” Thompson said. “The citizens of Pahokee don’t relish this kind of attention. We were really proud of Anquan Boldin and Janoris Jenkins and all the kids that are out there right now. We would rather see our name and see Pahokee represented in a better light like those players are doing.”