Vanderbilt Football

Vanderbilt defensive backs coach Dan Jackson will be away from the football team while the university conducts an internal review of a recent post Jackson made on Facebook in support of rapper Kanye West.

According to ESPN, Vanderbilt athletic director Candice Lee said the following about the situation:

"It is important the university follow its standard process and conduct a thorough review of the complexities of this incident. Coach Jackson and I have agreed that he will step back from his responsibilities with the team during the Equal Opportunity and Access office's review."

West, who is now known as Ye, made multiple antisemitic comments on social media and elsewhere, including amplifying the conspiracy theory that Jewish people wield outsized control in the media. As a result, Adidas terminated its relationship with West, and he had his accounts suspended on both Twitter and Instagram.

In the wake of the punishments, Jackson wrote on Facebook that West is "two steps ahead of everyone else."

Jackson offered an apology Friday night on Twitter and said he is opposed to antisemitism:

After apologizing, Jackson was allowed to coach in the 3-6 Commodores' 38-27 loss to South Carolina on Saturday.

Jackson, who was a linebacker at South Dakota State from 2003 to 2005, had extensive collegiate coaching experience before joining Vandy's staff this year.

He was part of the staff at his alma mater for eight years, helping South Dakota State establish itself as one of the premier programs in FCS.

Jackson then spent two seasons at Northern Illinois and was part of a turnaround that saw the Huskies go from winless in 2020 to MAC champions in 2021.

Jackson is currently not in line to be with Vanderbilt when it returns to the field Saturday for a road clash against Kentucky.

Vandy is 0-5 in the SEC this season, and it is looking to avoid a third consecutive season with no conference wins.

Vanderbilt defensive backs coach Dan Jackson posted an apology Friday night, saying he showed "poor judgment" with a Facebook post discussing Kanye West's antisemitic remarks.

Aria Gerson of The Tennessean reported Jackson's post wasn't publicly viewable, but it was sent anonymously to the Stop Antisemitism organization:

West, now known as Ye, was suspended from Instagram after posting antisemitic content. His Twitter account was also temporarily restricted shortly after West tweeted he was going to go "death con 3 on JEWISH PEOPLE."

Vanderbilt athletic director Candice Storey Lee and head football coach Clark Lea released a joint statement.

"We are aware of concerns raised today relating to a social media post by a member of our staff. Although we have been assured these comments were not directed at any specific group, we are deeply disappointed by this situation and are handling it internally," the statement read.

"The university and its athletics program are committed to creating and fostering a welcoming environment for all where differences are respected and all members of our community feel equal, valued and included. Please know that we reject antisemitism and discrimination in all its forms."

Antisemitism has been on the rise of late in the United States. The Anti-Defamation League found reports of antisemitism rose 34 percent between 2020 and 2021 to the highest number since the organization began tracking the information in 1979.

Jackson was hired by Vanderbilt ahead of the 2022 season.

He previously spent time as an assistant at Northern Illinois and South Dakota State, his alma mater where he also played linebacker from 2003 to 2005.

His coaching career started at Burke High School in his hometown of Omaha, Nebraska.

Vanderbilt won three of its first four games to open the campaign, but it's currently on a four-game losing streak that dropped its record to 3-5.

The Commodores are set to face South Carolina on Saturday night.

Former NFL and All-SEC Vanderbilt cornerback Jimmy Williams died Friday. He was 43.

Williams had suffered from an illness, according to The Advocate's Robin Fambrough. However, the cause of death has not been made public.

Williams starred for Vanderbilt from 1997 to 2000. In his first season with the team, he served as a running back, rushing for 527 yards and two touchdowns in addition to catching 23 passes for 189 yards and two scores.

After his freshman season, he primarily played as a defensive back, posting 10 interceptions from 1998 to 2000. He also served as a kick and punt returner, returning 73 kicks for 1,677 yards and one touchdown in his four collegiate seasons. He also returned 53 punts for 403 yards and one score.

The Buffalo Bills selected Williams in the sixth round of the 2001 NFL draft, but he never played a game for the franchise. He spent the first four seasons of his career with the San Francisco 49ers from 2001 to 2004.

In 50 games with the Niners, Williams posted one interception, six pass breakups, one forced fumble, four fumble recoveries, one sack and 88 tackles. He also returned 55 punts for 576 yards and one touchdown in addition to returning 49 kicks for 1,030 yards.

Williams spent the final two seasons of his career with the Seattle Seahawks from 2005 to 2006, posting two interceptions, seven pass breakups, two fumble recoveries and 50 tackles in 30 games. He also returned 38 punts for 241 yards.

Williams retired after the 2006 campaign and returned to his hometown of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. In 2011, he became a coach for the Episcopal School's football team, where he went to high school, and also served as a teacher.

Williams most recently was the team's defensive coordinator and assistant athletics director.

Former collegiate goalkeeper Sarah Fuller, who became the first woman to score in a Power Five football game as a kicker for the Vanderbilt Commodores in 2020, is continuing her soccer career with the USL W-League's Minnesota Aurora FC, the team announced Monday. 

Fuller is Minnesota's first-ever signing. 

Fuller was recruited as a kicker for Vanderbilt after members of the school's football team had to quarantine due to COVID-19 policies during the 2020 season. She made history by kicking off in a game against Missouri on Nov. 28, 2020, becoming the first woman to take a snap for a Power Five team. In addition, she kicked a pair of extra points in a loss to the Tennessee Volunteers on Dec. 12, 2020.

Fuller spent four seasons as the goalkeeper for Vanderbilt's women's soccer program from 2017 to 2020 before transferring to North Texas in 2021. 

The USL W-League is set to begin play this year. 

Vanderbilt soccer goaltender Sarah Fuller became the first woman to play in a Power Five football game when she filled in at kicker for the Commodores this fall, and on Wednesday, she got to help another woman celebrate a historic first.

Fuller introduced Vice President Kamala Harris—who is the first woman, first Black American and first person of South Asian descent to hold the office—at the inauguration celebration Wednesday night.

"Seeing other women break barriers and be the first at what they do inspired me and gave me the strength to succeed," Fuller said in a video from Vanderbilt Stadium.

Vanderbilt kicker Sarah Fuller will take part in Joe Biden's presidential inauguration Wednesday.

The senior called it "an honor to be invited to participate in one of America's greatest traditions."

According to Yahoo Sports' Pete Thamel, Fuller taped a message at Vanderbilt Stadium that will be played during the inauguration.

The 21-year-old became the first woman to compete in a Power Five FBS game when she took the field Nov. 28 against Missouri, and she scored her first points on Dec. 12 against Tennessee. Then-head coach Derek Mason originally brought her in to work out because of a rash of player absences for COVID-19-related reasons.

"I love that so much, it's so amazing," Fuller said to Thamel in December as she became a role model for younger generations. "When I went to a college game or watched older girls growing up, I felt the same way and looked up to them. Now being a college athlete and being that inspiration is really cool."

Prior to stepping onto the gridiron, Fuller was a member of Vanderbilt's women's soccer team, going 7-2-0 as the starting goalkeeper this season. She'll suit back up for the squad in the spring for the NCAA tournament and plans on transferring to North Texas after that.

Sarah Fuller took to Twitter on Monday night to thank the Vanderbilt football program for her short stint as the team's kicker: 

With Vandy's scheduled game against Georgia getting called off and ruled a no-contest this week, the senior student-athlete's collegiate football career has come to an end.

Fuller, who is also a goalkeeper for Vanderbilt's women's soccer team, joined the Vandy football team when it had a need at kicker due to COVID-19 protocols.

Fuller became the first woman to appear in a Power Five men's college football game when she kicked off once against Missouri, and then she became the first woman to score points in a Power Five football game when she kicked two extra points last week against Tennessee.

The Wylie, Texas, native was just the third woman to ever appear in an FBS football game, following in the footsteps of New Mexico kicker Katie Hnida in 2003 and Kent State kicker April Goss in 2015.

Although Fuller didn't get an opportunity to attempt a field goal in her two games as kicker for the 0-9 Commodores, she was a perfect 2-of-2 on extra points in the 42-17 loss to Tennessee.

According to Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports, Fuller plans to remain at Vandy through the spring and play goalkeeper for the Commodores in the NCAA tournament.

She will then transfer to North Texas and play two more years of soccer there, although she has no plans to continue her football career.

Although Fuller's time in football was brief, she made history and potentially opened up a world of possibilities for women who want to break into the sport moving forward.

Vanderbilt announced Monday that it has hired Notre Dame defensive coordinator Clark Lea as the 29th head coach in the program's history.

Lea expressed his excitement about the opportunity in a statement:

"I'm excited to come back to Vanderbilt to lead a program, at an institution and in a city, that gave me so much and shaped who I am today. Vanderbilt is a special place with a competitive drive that I believe can translate into winning. My excitement for the role grew as I spent time with Candice Lee and Chancellor Diermeier—it's very clear they are united around a common vision for the future of the Vanderbilt Athletics program and football."

Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports was the first to report a deal was finalized.

Lea spent the past three years as the Fighting Irish's defensive coordinator following one season as the program's linebackers coach.

The Tennessee native played fullback at Vandy from 2002 through 2004 after starting his collegiate career playing baseball, spending one season apiece at Birmingham-Southern and Belmont.

He started his coaching career at UCLA in 2006, and he returned to the Bruins for another three-year stint from 2009 through 2011. He's also made stops at South Dakota State, Bowling Green, Syracuse and Wake Forest in addition to his time at Notre Dame, most often serving as a linebackers coach.

This will mark Lea's first opportunity as a head coach.

In April, he told Lou Somogyi of BlueAndGold he wanted to wait for the right opportunity to arise before making the jump to leading an entire program:

"I'm not looking for a reason to leave where I am. I never in my wildest dreams would have imagined being at Notre Dame as a coach, much less be in a position to be a coordinator, much less being here for four years.

"My family is happy here, I love working for coach [Brian] Kelly, so for me when those things come up and you take a look, I want to be fair to the goals I had when I set out on this career. But I'm not in a rush for that. It's about focusing on the moment right now. It's about how to best engage these guys while they're removed and we're in virtual interactions."

Lea replaces Derek Mason, who was fired in late November after the Commodores' 0-8 start to the 2020 campaign. Mason posted 27-55 record and no winning seasons across seven years at Vandy.

The program's last winning record and bowl victory both came in 2013 under James Franklin, currently the head coach at Penn State.

Lea will be tasked with making the Commodores a threat again in the highly competitive SEC.

Two weeks after becoming the first woman to play in a Power Five conference football game, Sarah Fuller made history again Saturday. 

Fuller became the first woman to score in a Power Five game when she kicked an extra point for Vanderbilt in the first quarter against Tennessee:

The Commodores initially used Fuller, who plays on the school's women's soccer team, as their practice kicker leading up to a Nov. 28 game against Missouri. The program was dealing with COVID-19 concerns that left it without an available placekicker. 

"(Fuller is) coming out and just looking at what we do and how we do it (at practice)," former head coach Derek Mason told reporters on Nov. 25. "She's a complete competitor. She's an option for us."

Mason wound up putting Fuller on the active roster for that game. Her only appearance was during the second-half kickoff for a designed squib kick. 

Fuller was named SEC Special Teams Player of the Week after her first game.