TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The fallout continues Tuesday over video of Florida State University quarterback De'Andre Johnson punching a woman in the face at a Tallahassee bar.
FSU head coach Jimbo Fisher announced Monday night De'Andre Johnson has been dismissed from the football team following the release of the video.
The video was released by the Tallahassee Police Department Monday, and comes just a week after Johnson turned himself in on misdemeanor battery charges in connection with the incident in late June.
Johnson's former pastor, Mark Griffin, said that the Johnson seen in the video is not the shy, caring kid he knew for years.
"His dream job was not the NFL. His dream job was being the starting quarterback at Florida State. His dream was wearing the garnet and gold," Griffin said. "And his dream has now turned into a nightmare because of his own actions."
Griffin has known Johnson for years, as his family's pastor at Wayman Ministries and he said he's spoken to Johnson and knows without question, he's sorry for what happened.
Griffin said there's no excuse for the 19-year-old's actions, but urges people to keep Johnson's age in mind.
"Of course we're very disappointed about what happened in Tallahassee but I don't think any of us are more disappointed in De'Andre than himself," Griffin said.
A statement from FSU reads, "Florida State head football coach Jimbo Fisher announced Monday evening that freshman De'Andre Johnson has been dismissed from the football team effective immediately. Johnson was indefinitely suspended on June 25 following initial reports of an incident that occurred off campus and resulted in a criminal charge."
Johnson, 19, was charged with misdemeanor battery from the incident at Yianni's Nightclub on June 24.
News4Jax Sports Director Sam Kouvaris said there is no question that Florida State made the right decision in cutting Johnson from the team. Regardless of age, Sam said, this should never have happened.
"I think that football programs have to be very aware that this is an issue they're going to have to deal with. They can't just sweep it under the rug and say, "Oh boys will be boys." This is a real thing, particularly when you're talking about guys who are the best of the best among athletes," Kouvaris said.
[RAW: Surveillance video]
Johnson is a First Coast High School graduate and played for its football team when he lived in Jacksonville.
According to Timothy Simmons, former vice principal of First Coast High School, during his time at the school Johnson was a good student.
"Johnson is a good young man. Strong young man. Academic focus. He never had any discipline issues while at First Coast, when I was there. I remember him being a young man with good integrity and good character. He really just wanted to do all he could academically to graduate early, but he ended up staying his full four years at First Coast. Good young man," Simmons said.
He was voted "Mr. Football" in Florida last year.
Johnson turned himself in to the Leon County Jail on June 30 after a warrant was issued for his arrest. He was released on $500 bond.
He was suspended indefinitely from the Florida State University football team following the incident.
Ellen Siler, CEO of Jacksonville's domestic violence center the Hubbard House, said she was saddened to see the video.
"I can't really make that correlation, but it does concern me any time somebody reacts out violently to another person and doesn't really care who might be watching and what ramifications there might be," Siler said.
The website TMZ reported that Johnson's family said the woman should be considered at fault because they said she struck first.
Local attorney Gene Nichols, who is not affiliated with the case, said that in the eyes of the law, it doesn't matter if it's a woman or man who strikes first, but he said in this case, Johnson will struggle with that defense because he said it appears that Johnson started it.
"They have not charged the young lady with a crime, mainly because I'm sure in their read of the video, there was a time period when he grabs her and you can clearly see on her face that it was the grabbing that she did not want to happen," Nichols said.