I’M leaving and i promise never to return: Sawyer Robertson announced after he…..

Another Baylor official leaves, while current football players pledge to stay put

The Baylor sexual-assault scandal has shaken the school’s administration roster — three school officials have since resigned, been fired or demoted. But as far as the Baylor football team goes, the players, at least the ones already in Waco, have stayed put.

As of Tuesday, no Baylor players have opted to leave the program and many have taken to social media to issue statements of support for the program as it attempts to move forward after last week’s Pepper Hamilton report. Starting quarterback Seth Russell and backup quarterback Jarret Stidham both published Instagram posts vaguely discussing the scandal and their commitment to Baylor amid the blowback the school is receiving. Their posts coincided with the university’s decision to hire Jim Grobe as acting head coach of the football team.

Russell was Baylor’s starting quarterback at the start of the 2015 season before a neck injury derailed his season and Heisman candidacy seven games in, giving way to Stidham taking the reins of the offense. Russell compiled 2,104 yards, 29 touchdowns and six interceptions before his season came to an end. The senior first took to Instagram three days ago upon returning from a mission trip in Brazil to respond to Briles’s firing, writing then that “the heartache was still immensely present.” Monday, the 22-year-old posted a second message, this one about his excitement for the upcoming season.

I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to have one last go around with the family I love. I’ve been with this team during some of the best and worst times..and now I get to finish my college career proving all of the doubters wrong with them, which is sure to be a good time. This team is my family, and nothing will ever change that. Through the thick and the thin, God’s got me. Sic ’em Bears!

Stidham also posted a similar message Monday, with his post also addressing the 2016 campaign and the “adversity” he feels the team will have to overcome to succeed.

Can’t wait to get back on that grind tomorrow with my brothers. This year is going to be different than the rest in many ways, but either way we will make a statement to everyone. Excited for the opportunity God has presented this team with to overcome adversity and become even closer as a family. Stick with us Baylor nation, we got this.

The internal public support for the Baylor football program is a slim ray of positive news amid the intense external criticism directed at the university and football team for their much-publicized roles in handling recent sexual assault allegations.

Multiple high school recruits with intentions to play for Baylor — Kameron Martin, Patrick Hudson and J.P. Urquidez, according to Sport Illustrated, in addition to Hezekiah Jones and Donovan Stiner, per ESPN— have asked to be released from their National Letter of Intent. USA Today reports that if the recruits that have since expressed interest in backing out of playing for the Bears follow through, Baylor will have but two recruits remaining in the Class of 2017.

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