Trei Oliver, head football coach for North Carolina Central University released a statement apologizing for a message he posted on the X social media platform regarding his former quarterback, Davius Richard.
The former Eagles QB suffered a fractured ankle in the HBCU Legacy Bowl last week. The decision to have Richard run the ball during the game triggered Coach Oliver to post a message on the X social media platform.
“I promise he would not have played if I knew that those dumbass coaches were going to run him! He should never have left the pocket, you want to run hand it off to those All-American backs. Make it make sense,” Oliver posted and has since deleted.
On Tuesday the head coach apologized for the language of the tweet in a new post. “I would like to apologize for the language used in a previous tweet. That is not the example that I would like to set for my players, regardless of how strongly I felt and still feel about the situation,” Oliver states on X, formerly Twitter.
“I support the Legacy Bowl and the opportunities it creates; however, Coaches have to do what they can to protect the players. Doug and Shaq told the coaches early in the week not to run him. On Friday, I sat with the offensive staff and asked them not to run him as well. For whatever reason, the play was called. This is a minor setback for Davius, however, he is a warrior and will bounce back,” he wrote.
Despite apologizing for the tone of the post, Oliver still stands by his feelings on Richard’s injury. Richard was there to showcase his abilities and skills to NFL Scouts in an environment that was created for HBCU players who don’t get the opportunity to participate in the NFL Combine.
Despite leaving the game early with the injury, Richard was still named the Offensive MVP of the game, his Team Gaither defeated Team Robinson 10-6 in Saturday’s game. Team Gaither was coached by Larry Scott, head coach at Howard University, and Dr. Alvin Parker from Virginia Union University.
Oliver has been the head football coach at NCCU since December 2018. He’s been described by many as “a good dude and coach who brings passion and energy to NCCU.”
He played college football at his alma mater as a defensive back and punter from 1994 to 1997. He was also named MEAC Coach of the Year in 2022 and 2023.
