Just last month, we reported on Northwestern State’s decision to cancel the remainder of its football season due to the tragic shooting death of football player Ronnie Caldwell.
One of the players, Travon Jones, has taken the initiative to launch a petition with the goal of allowing the team to finish the season. Jones emphasized that the team was as shocked as anyone else when they received the news of the season’s cancellation during a team meeting.
“We had no idea; we didn’t know that was in the plans or anything like that,” said Travon Jones. “We were told it’s about the mental state of the team, and so, as far as we knew, we were playing until they told us in the team meeting, which was a big shock to everyone.”
Now, Jones is taking action to address the situation. He initiated discussions with the student president at Northwestern State, who shared that the situation was not right, leading them to conclude that a petition would be an effective way to make their voices heard. Initially, the petition targeted players, but it has since gained broader support.
The petition has garnered over 5,000 signatures, exceeding the requirement. As of Friday evening, the school had not issued an official response to the Natchitoches Parish Journal regarding the petition. However, the NSU Athletic Director, in his conversation with the “Current Sauce” and “NSU-TV” about the premature season-ending, mentioned that the decision was not unanimously agreed upon, but the school stands by it.
