ORLANDO, Fla. — The University of Central Florida athletic department apologized to Kent State University, noting that a tweet posted during the Knights’ season-opening football victory on Thursday made an “unintended reference” to an infamous 1970 shooting at the Ohio school.
The since-deleted tweet was posted by UCF’s social media team on X, formerly known as Twitter, during the Knights’ 56-6 victory in Orlando, Florida. The post showed a photograph of quarterback John Rhys Plumlee on a sideline telephone after throwing one of his three touchdown passes, USA Today reported. The caption, in all capital letters, stated “Someone call the National Guard.”
The post was intended to reference Pro Football Hall of Fame tight end Shannon Sharpe, who pretended to call the president from a sideline phone during the Denver Broncos’ 34-8 victory against the New England Patriots in a November 1996 game. Sharpe’s “phone call” asked the president to “send the National Guard, please,” and “call off the dogs,” according to the newspaper.
But because the Knights’ opponent was Kent State, it brought back memories of the May 4, 1970, shooting at the Ohio university’s campus, Sports Illustrated reported. That was the day members of the Ohio National Guard opened fire into a group of Vietnam War protestors on the Kent State campus, killing four students and wounding nine others.
The post, although deleted, was captured in a screenshot and circulated on social media, Fox News reported.
UCF’s athletic department apologized on Friday, according to Sports Illustrated.
“An unfortunate post was made with the intention to reference the famous Shannon Sharpe sideline clip of him on the phone from a 1996 game against the New England Patriots,” the athletic department said in a statement. “As soon as our staff was made aware of the unintended reference to the unfortunate event that took place at Kent State in 1970, the post was removed. It was addressed with our staff immediately, and updated protocols have been put in place to avoid a situation like this in the future.
“Vice President and Director of Athletics Terry Mohajir has apologized to Kent State Director of Athletics Randale L. Richmond.”
The game was the season opener for both teams. UCF jumped out to a 28-3 halftime lead, and Plumlee finished with three touchdowns and rushed for another score against the Golden Flashes.
The senior threw for 281 yards and rushed for 90.
The game was the Knights’ first as a member of the Big 12 conference. The school previously played in the American Athletic Conference. The school joined the Big 12 on July 1; the conference now has 16 schools.
UCF opens its conference schedule on Sept. 23 against Kansas State.