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Just after 4 p.m. CT on Monday afternoon, Quintez Cephus and his two lawyers, Kathleen Stilling and Stephen Meyer, took to a bank of microphones and called on the University of Wisconsin and Chancellor Becky Blank to allow Cephus back into school.
Meyer and Stilling did most of the talking and made it clear that they wanted the University to “do what’s right.”
Lawyers from Quintez Cephus have started talking at press conference: "We have asked the University to reinstate Quintez...we are asking them to do what's right."
— Bucky's 5th Quarter (@B5Q) August 12, 2019
Cephus spoke briefly and thanked his teammates, friends and family for supporting him over the past year. He then answered a couple of questions, including one where he was asked if he was “angry at Wisconsin.”
"I am not angry at all. The whole time I've had the support of my brothers and everyone who knew me. I've had the chance to show my real character outside of sports. I took that very seriously. My brothers supported me the whole time. I'm very thankful." - Quintez Cephus
— Bucky's 5th Quarter (@B5Q) August 12, 2019
There were well over a dozen current UW players standing behind Cephus during the whole press conference, including Jonathan Taylor, Tyler Biadasz, Chris Orr, Jack Coan and Garrett Groshek.
#Badgers LB Chris Orr on why he and 16 of his teammates came to support Quintez Cephus today: pic.twitter.com/5Uo4PzIJg4
— Zach Heilprin (@ZachHeilprin) August 12, 2019
Reporter: "Why reenroll at UW and not another university?"
— Bucky's 5th Quarter (@B5Q) August 12, 2019
Lawyers gesture to the entire lineup of current players behind them.
Cephus’ trial for alleged sexual assault ended on Friday August, 2nd when he was found not guilty on all charges. There has been an online campaign from players, both current and former, to #LetQTPlay and seven players sent Blank a letter on Monday asking her to allow Cephus to come back to school.
Seven current #Badgers - Chris Orr, Jack Coan, Garrett Groshek, Jonathan Taylor, AJ Taylor, Tyler Biadasz and Zack Baun - recently wrote a letter to UW chancellor Rebecca Blank to push for Quintez Cephus’ reinstatement. Here’s a small part of it: pic.twitter.com/zVQ0EDpdDF
— Zach Heilprin (@ZachHeilprin) August 12, 2019
You can find the entire letter at the end of the Journal Sentinel’s article here.
When asked about what the University has said in terms of a timeline, Meyer did not mince words.
"The University has not provided a timeline. They keep talking about trial transcripts. That will take three months. What does that tell you?" - attorney Stephen Meyer
— Bucky's 5th Quarter (@B5Q) August 12, 2019
For their part, the University denied Meyer’s claims and issued a statement of their own Monday afternoon.
UW-Madison's official response to comments made by Stephen Meyer, one of the lawyers for WR Quintez Cephus:https://t.co/Xn7MePLDUw pic.twitter.com/Y5VfH1n12N
— Jake Kocorowski (@JakeKoco) August 12, 2019
Cephus was suspended from the football team right before the 2018 season and expelled from UW last semester due to Title IX violations. In 2017, the native of Macon, Georgia had 30 catches for 501 and six touchdowns and was unanimously named honorable mention All-Big Ten and was an Academic All-Big Ten team member as well.
If he is admitted back to school, head coach Paul Chryst has already made his feelings clear on the matter of Cephus returning to the team.
Paul Chryst says he’s very open to Quintez Cephus coming back to the team if he’s reinstated. #Badgers pic.twitter.com/NbeDnyzscl
— Zach Heilprin (@ZachHeilprin) August 7, 2019
We will have more on this story as news develops.