Days before the news of football coach Pat Fitzgerald’s firing broke, State Rep. Kam Buckner (D) vowed to file legislation that creates the athlete bill of rights to codify what he says “true protection should look like.”
“If I was in this position, if I would have stepped forward and said anything, you run the risk of jeopardizing the scholarship, right?” Buckner said.
That is why the lawmaker wants to mandate an “ombudsman,” a person who athletes can come to, other than a coach, to whistleblow without fear of retaliation.