WMU's Fleck takes blame for recruiting dismissed players

KALAMAZOO - Instead of talking about his team's first game of the season, Western Michigan football head coach P.J. Fleck opened his first press luncheon of the 2016 campaign on Monday by commenting on his role in recruiting the two former players who have been arraigned on felony charges from an alleged armed robbery and home invasion.

Bryson White and Ron George are accused of forcing their way into a Kalamazoo apartment on Aug. 26 and robbing a woman using a gun and a knife. The former WMU freshmen football players were initially suspended indefinitely on Aug. 27 before being dismissed from the team on Aug. 28.

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“What happened this weekend is 100 percent my responsibility as the head football coach,” Fleck said. “I’m the one that gives scholarships, I’m the one that approves scholarships, I’m the only one that can offer anybody wishing our culture, so that all falls on me."

Both White and George were a part of WMU's heralded 2016 recruiting class that ranked as the best in the Mid-American Conference. White played wide receiver and is from Mason, Ohio, and George is a linebacker from Pittsburgh.

“As a leader of our football team, developing and teaching leadership, you take accountability for your actions," Fleck said. "I brought those two gentlemen into our culture. If I would have told you I knew what was going to happen, I wouldn’t have obviously done that."

2 WMU football players kicked off team after alleged heist

Fleck said the two former players were with the program for six weeks.

"I feel like I failed because I couldn’t work in their lives to get them to not make that decision," he said. "We do everything we possibly can every single day to teach and promote decision making. And we will continue to do that. This is a real program - this is not a perfect program, but we are real. We will learn from this failing and we will grow. That was our message to our players. One negative thing will not take away from all the positive things in this culture and all the things that will happen."

Western Michigan is coming off an 8-5 season that ended with a win in the Popeyes Bahamas Bowl - the first bowl victory in program history. The Broncos play Saturday at Northwestern, beginning at noon.

Nick Buckley can be reached at nbuckley@battlecreekenquirer.com or 269-966-0652. Follow him on Twitter:@NickJBuckley