Rawls apologizes to team, will play Saturday
Previously suspended senior running back Thomas Rawls spoke publicly for the first time since his arrest two weeks ago, after Central Michigan University football practice Wednesday.
“I want to apologize to my teammates and all the kids back home in Flint that look up to me,” Rawls said. “I embarrassed myself and this program. Nobody is perfect. Everybody makes mistakes. It is all about how you move forward from it.”
He pleaded guilty Tuesday in Isabella County Trial Court to one count of attempted larceny in a building, a high court misdemeanor.
Sentencing is set for 3 p.m. Oct. 21 Rawls will serve no jail time.
As part of his plea agreement, Rawls also asked Isabella County Trial Court Judge Mark Duthie for permission to travel with the CMU football team to Toledo this weekend.
CMU head football coach Dan Enos confirmed after practice Wednesday that Rawls would play Saturday, though he said he was not sure if Rawls would start in the game.
“He’s paid the consequences,” Enos said. “When you have a family and have children, when they make a mistake you don’t just kick them out of the house. That’s not how you deal with situations like this.”
Rawls explained to reporters what he was thinking the night he and an accomplice stole a 62-year-old Holly woman's purse.
“I was not conscious that night,” Rawls said. “I don’t want to call it a mistake because it was a decision I made. I’m moving forward and I’m looking forward to playing Toledo this weekend.”
He has not monitored social media sites, Rawls said, or paid any attention to his critics during the past two weeks.
“I don’t read anything like that,” he said. “The only thing I have been hearing is all positive. That’s from my family, teammates and coaches. Nothing negative.”
Enos offered little comment to the critics of the decision to reinstate Rawls.
“I don’t control the legal system,” Enos said. “I don’t have anything to say to (the critics). If you just kick everyone who makes a mistake off the team, you wouldn’t have a lot of people. I think a lot of our regular student body makes mistakes. We are all very fallible.”
Several members of the team text messaged and called him, Rawls said, after the news of his Sept.7 arrest broke.
“I believe God has a plan for everybody,” he said. “Everybody goes through adversity at some point in their life. I’ll be ready. I never missed a step.”
