Wyatt Sexton
Encyclopedia
Wyatt Sexton is a former National Collegiate Athletic Association
(NCAA) American football
quarterback
for the Florida State Seminoles
. Sexton is well known for his performances on the field and for his suffering from the effects of Lyme disease
. Sexton's career ended after he was doused with pepper spray
by police officers who found him lying in the street and proclaiming himself as God in June 2005. Although Sexton was already suspended from the team at the time due to erratic behavior stemming from the disease, including failing to take a drug test, and unusual behavior in practice. The aforementioned incident prompted his indefinite suspension and a prolonged battery of medical tests which ultimately revealed the disease.
.
his freshman year in 2002, he played sparingly as a redshirt freshman in 2003. As a redshirt sophomore in 2004 Sexton took over the offense for long stretches for the ineffective Chris Rix
and started seven games with a record of 5-2 as a starter, throwing for 1,661 yards and eight touchdowns in the process. Sexton headed into his junior season as the projected starting quarterback, and was named "most dependable quarterback" following the spring practices in 2005. Through his first two years at the school Sexton was a standout student who received awards for his academic performance.
. When they reached the scene, Tallahassee police officer Zachary Lyne stated that Sexton was sitting in the middle of the street wearing only a pair of wet shorts and when repeatedly asked to state his name he eventually responded only that he was God. Lyne then stated that Sexton became belligerent and had to be pepper sprayed and subdued. Sexton was not charged with a crime as he passed a sobriety test, and police stated that he had not committed a criminal act. The police then, after consulting with Sexton's parents, released him to a hospital for medical observation. Initially there were allegations of drug abuse which Sexton's family quickly repudiated. Sexton was later diagnosed with Lyme disease, a tick-borne disease that can cause joint swelling and brain inflammation if left untreated. The disease was deemed to be in its later stages by a Lyme disease specialist when it was diagnosed, who then recommended a treatment program of intensive antibiotic therapy for several months.
In January 2006 Sexton announced he was quitting the football team in order to concentrate on his health and academics at Florida State.
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
(NCAA) American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
for the Florida State Seminoles
Florida State Seminoles
The Florida State Seminoles are the men's and women's sports teams of Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida. Florida State participates in the NCAA's Division I . FSU joined the Atlantic Coast Conference in 1991, and competes in the Atlantic Division in any sports split into a...
. Sexton is well known for his performances on the field and for his suffering from the effects of Lyme disease
Lyme disease
Lyme disease, or Lyme borreliosis, is an emerging infectious disease caused by at least three species of bacteria belonging to the genus Borrelia. Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto is the main cause of Lyme disease in the United States, whereas Borrelia afzelii and Borrelia garinii cause most...
. Sexton's career ended after he was doused with pepper spray
Pepper spray
Pepper spray, also known as OC spray , OC gas, and capsicum spray, is a lachrymatory agent that is used in riot control, crowd control and personal self-defense, including defense against dogs and bears...
by police officers who found him lying in the street and proclaiming himself as God in June 2005. Although Sexton was already suspended from the team at the time due to erratic behavior stemming from the disease, including failing to take a drug test, and unusual behavior in practice. The aforementioned incident prompted his indefinite suspension and a prolonged battery of medical tests which ultimately revealed the disease.
Early life
As a child Sexton grew up in a football household as his father Billy was a longime assistant football coach at Florida State. Sexton attended Leon High School in the Tallahassee area where he starred at quarterback. Sexton threw for over 2,800 yards and 28 touchdowns as a junior to lead the state in passing, and then threw for 2,193 yards and 19 touchdowns as a senior. Sexton was a decent student at Leon who graduated with a 4.0 GPA and scored a 1270 on his SATSAT
The SAT Reasoning Test is a standardized test for college admissions in the United States. The SAT is owned, published, and developed by the College Board, a nonprofit organization in the United States. It was formerly developed, published, and scored by the Educational Testing Service which still...
.
FSU and football
Sexton arrived on campus as a prized recruit during the summer of 2002. He was ranked as one of the top quarterback prospects in Florida coming out of high school. Being the son of an assistant coach, his transition to Florida State was expected to be smooth. After redshirtingRedshirt (college sports)
Redshirt is a term used in American college athletics that refers to a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen his or her period of eligibility...
his freshman year in 2002, he played sparingly as a redshirt freshman in 2003. As a redshirt sophomore in 2004 Sexton took over the offense for long stretches for the ineffective Chris Rix
Chris Rix
Christopher Charles Rix is a former NCAA Division I Filipino-American football quarterback for the Florida State Seminoles football team. Rix is also widely known as a coach and sportscaster.- Early life:...
and started seven games with a record of 5-2 as a starter, throwing for 1,661 yards and eight touchdowns in the process. Sexton headed into his junior season as the projected starting quarterback, and was named "most dependable quarterback" following the spring practices in 2005. Through his first two years at the school Sexton was a standout student who received awards for his academic performance.
Battle with Lyme disease
This would all change in the middle of 2005 however. In June 2005 Police responded to a call about a man doing pushups in the street and jumping on cars in a residential neighborhood near Tallahassee, FloridaTallahassee, Florida
Tallahassee is the capital of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat and only incorporated municipality in Leon County, and is the 128th largest city in the United States. Tallahassee became the capital of Florida, then the Florida Territory, in 1824. In 2010, the population recorded by...
. When they reached the scene, Tallahassee police officer Zachary Lyne stated that Sexton was sitting in the middle of the street wearing only a pair of wet shorts and when repeatedly asked to state his name he eventually responded only that he was God. Lyne then stated that Sexton became belligerent and had to be pepper sprayed and subdued. Sexton was not charged with a crime as he passed a sobriety test, and police stated that he had not committed a criminal act. The police then, after consulting with Sexton's parents, released him to a hospital for medical observation. Initially there were allegations of drug abuse which Sexton's family quickly repudiated. Sexton was later diagnosed with Lyme disease, a tick-borne disease that can cause joint swelling and brain inflammation if left untreated. The disease was deemed to be in its later stages by a Lyme disease specialist when it was diagnosed, who then recommended a treatment program of intensive antibiotic therapy for several months.
In January 2006 Sexton announced he was quitting the football team in order to concentrate on his health and academics at Florida State.