It’s just TikTok

FAMU football player lines up against UAPB in the 2022 Homecoming Game
Photo Credit: Tallahassee Democrat

Recently, the FAMU Football team has been going viral for their funny TikTok videos. 

Jacory Jordan, a redshirt freshman for the Rattlers, has been at the helm of their most recent publicity. Engaging his fellow teammates behind the camera in popular TikTok trends such as ‘Who Would You Not Let Your Daughter Date on the Team?’ and ‘Flash Who You Want,’ where the players show the social media profiles of ladies they think are attractive. 

Another of Jordan’s popular videos shows the gridiron Rattlers showing off their dougie. The team was certainly dancing all last season, going 9-2 overall, as well as finishing 7-1 in the SWAC. With Deion Sanders leaving Jackson State for the University of Colorado, the Rattlers have a chance to secure the SWAC title once and for all. 

Most of the reactions to the team’s videos have been positive, and why not? The guys themselves aren’t being aggressive or offensive. The fans find the Rattlers hilarious in their natural habitat, the locker room, laughing over the fact that one player was crushing on three girls at once. A good majority of them were playfully ripping on Jones for refusing to give Chris Sanders II’s dougie a 10/10.

Others, however, have raised the question of whether this newfound fame reflects poorly on the team as a whole. They worry that their reputation as players has diminished as a result of them participating in these trends. 

I don’t reflect the sentiments of the previously described. If anything, it’s great seeing my favorite football team go viral on Tik Tok. As someone who doesn’t see a lot of FAMU on my ‘For You Page’ on TikTok, I was pleasantly surprised to see my Rattlers. They made me laugh with their mannerisms and unexplained repulsion to the possibility of one of their teammates dating their hypothetical daughters. 

It was also funny seeing the majority of the players ganging up against one of the players, Darien Oxendine, profusely stating there was no way he was ever getting a date with their daughters. Even though it was a joke, it left me wondering what they knew about Oxendine that would make him such a bad date, despite already being a college athlete between the ages of 18-23. 

At the end of the day, college football locker rooms and even high school ones all across the country are doing the same trend. The majority of the teams keep it cute and refrain from being offensive and inappropriate, which is what the FAMU football team has done. 

If anything, it’s a reflection of Jacory Jones, the catalyst, as someone who understands the reputation of FAMU football and wants to preserve it. I’d be surprised if Coach Willie Simmons has never had a social media conversation with his team. Jones and his teammates understand how important it is to make sure that what they’re posting online is respectable for their program, athletics, FAMU itself, and its fans. They also understand that it’s still possible for the team to have fun while upholding the football program’s reputation. 

I don’t know about you guys, but I’m ready to see more dancing videos and the Rattlers taking on more TikTok trends. Jacory Jordan, what are you waiting for?