In August, University of Wisconsin football player Jonathan Casillas was cited for a DUI while driving on a moped. The senior outside linebacker was also cited for driving with two people on a moped.
However, according to UW head coach Bret Bielema, the issue has been taken care of"" and Casillas will receive no further punishment.
Herein lies the problem. Casillas missed the first two games and a majority of training camp with a knee injury. So the question remains as to how and when exactly he was disciplined for his arrest. Bielema cited that the arrest does not fall under the student-athlete discipline policy, and therefore any action taken against Casillas was done so ""in-house.""
Internally handling something like this incident has become commonplace for the football team and UW athletics in general. Keeping team discipline so quiet and not sitting Casillas not only sends the wrong message to him and his teammates, but hinders an athlete's ability to deal with the realistic consequences they would face should they attempt a professional career.
Badgers who could someday play professionally and are constantly protected by the university may not be able to handle such criticism that would accompany a DUI arrest in the future.
The university needs to stop protecting athletes and allow them to take full responsibility for their own disciplinary faults. In the end, such an action is the most realistic and beneficial option for both sides.
