Maurice Couch Apologizes; Vol Nation Should Be All-Forgiving

Sep 8, 2012; Knoxville, TN, USA; Tennessee Volunteers defensive lineman Maurice Couch (44) tries to tackle Georgia State Panthers tight end Emmanuel Ogbuehi (88) during the first quarter at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports

On Friday morning Maurice Couch, amid allegations of receiving improper benefits, apologized to fans, family and teammates via Twitter.

For a minute folks, I want you to forget about the other four players involved in these allegations. Forget about the agents, the middle-men and even the schools involved.

I want you to focus on Maurice Couch.

Some might look at this apology above as nothing more than an admission of guilt. Not that the guiltiness of Couch was in question, the evidence was damning.

I believe, however, the apology from Couch represents so much more, it represents what those around him already know to be true — Couch is a real man.

Now I don’t know Couch personally, outside of seeing him around the complex and practice a few times. But I do know his reputation among players and former players. I know what I see from him in social media.

More than that I know he’s a father.

Couch is a father, while playing football for a major college, while married to his child’s mother.

When you play major college football, you eat, breathe and sleep football. On top of football, you’ve got classes. Basically working a job is in no way ever an option.

As a parent myself, I know that no matter how well you provide for your child, it’s never enough in your mind. That’s a flaw we have as parents, but it comes from a place that you can’t explain.

So while I don’t know Maurice Couch’s situation, I understand that the desire to provide for your family, is bigger than football, it’s bigger than anything in this world — and it should be.

Maurice Couch is a man that should be commended. He’s doing the right thing in life, when doing the right thing isn’t necessarily easy.

Yes, he broke he rules, he took money that he shouldn’t have.

But would any of you, with children, have done anything different?

Couch is alleged to have taken $1,350 over a six month period. That’s nothing when you have a family. That wouldn’t get most of you through a month, with the bare minimum.

I appreciate Couch’s apology to fans, but really he has no one to apologize to but his coaches and his teammate.

Maurice Couch, you didn’t let anyone down.

In fact, the world could use more people like you.