(FARGO) – For the first time since announcing Jaiden Pickett was arrested by Fargo Police, and subsequently released from the NDSU football team, head coach Tim Polasek addressed the situation at the top of his weekly press conference ahead of this weekend’s game at East Tennessee State University.
“Over the weekend, we had an NDSU football player, a team member, make a very poor decision,” he said. “Being a student-athlete at NDSU comes with high expectations.”
Polasek thanked the Fargo Police Department for their communication and diligence with the case.
He said the last couple of days have not been easy, and that he is taking the burden of the situation.
Polasek said the situation was ‘crystal clear’ based on the facts that were presented regarding the arrest of Pickett.
He said he is working with younger players in an effort to educate them.
“That’s what our team meeting was all about,” he said regarding the effort to educate.
When asked about his emotions when he found out about Pickett’s arrest, seeming to become choked up, Polasek alluded to the fact that the former Bison player ‘made a huge, huge mistake,’ saying Pickett ‘is going to lean into his faith, and lean into the people he has built relationships with to bounce back from this.’
He said he was thankful nobody else was harmed.
