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Lee Suspended For Two Games

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By SCOTT CARTER, The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 29, 2007

TALLAHASSEE - Xavier Lee's erratic career at Florida State took another turn Monday when FSU coach Bobby Bowden suspended the fourth-year junior quarterback for two games. Lee will continue to practice but he will not travel to road games at Boston College and Virginia Tech, forcing the Seminoles to rely on redshirt freshmen De'Vontrey Richardson and Christian Ponder if starter Drew Weatherford should get hurt.

'Xavier has been suspended for two games for violation of academic policy,' Bowden said following Monday night's practice. 'That's about all I can say about it.'

Lee's roller-coaster season reached a pinnacle when he came off the bench in his first appearance of the season to lead the Noles to a 21-14 win over Alabama on Sept. 29. He then started three consecutive games before handing the job back to Weatherford with poor second-half performances in back-to-back losses to Wake Forest and Miami.

Lee came to FSU in 2004 after leaving Daytona Beach Seabreeze as the state's all-time leading prep passer. However, Lee has started only six games during his FSU career.

He came under scrutiny prior to the Wake Forest game for missing FSU's final practice due to academic obligations he had previously failed to address. Bowden said Lee's suspension is not related to an ongoing investigation of academic fraud by 23 student-athletes.

Offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher worked Richardson with the second-team most of Monday's practice. Richardson came in for one play in the Alabama game, and Ponder has yet to make an appearance, leaving a huge void in experience behind Weatherford.

'I'm more concerned about Xavier,' Fisher said. 'I just want to make sure we get some things taken care of and he can get it fixed and move on and he can have a great career.'

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