Mississippi State quarterback Dak Prescott and two teammates arrived back in Starkville late Monday night, hours after a fight caught on video in Panama City Beach, Fla., left Prescott with visible wounds to his face and back.
Prescott, along with teammates Torrey Dale, a junior defensive end, and backup quarterback Damian Williams, were in Panama City Beach as part of spring break festivities, but their trip was cut short when the trio was allegedly attacked by multiple men following a concert they attended.
The news of the attack was first reported about 7 p.m., but the incident itself occurred earlier in the afternoon.
Pictures showing Prescott with visible cuts on his face and chest emerged first. Shortly after, three videos posted on the image-sharing website Instagram, appeared to show Prescott, Dale and Williams being attacked by multiple individuals.
The videos appear to show Prescott being punched or kicked by three men, while Dale is attacked by at least five.
In the chaos, Prescott appears to be hit with a bottle. He tries to reach his feet, the footage shows, before he is kicked in the face by an unknown attacker. The videos, ranging from 15-30 seconds each, also show multiple men attacking Williams.
In the pictures, Prescott was shown with a small gash near the corner of his right eye.
None of the three videos shows any of the three Bulldogs throwing a punch or participating in the fight.
In the aftermath, one source within MSU’s athletic program said Prescott, Williams and Dale were shaken up but otherwise fine. All three received medical attention, and all three were cleared. The medical attention was administered on site, and none of the three were hospitalized. The trio made the six-hour drive back to Starkville and arrived just before midnight.
According to a Panama City Beach police spokesman, an arrest hadn’t been made and wasn’t imminent as of 10 p.m. Monday. The spokesman also said police hadn’t received a call reporting the incident.
Shortly after the videos and pictures of the attack went viral, Twitter user @Str8Fam_DWilson posted he and friends were allegedly responsible for the wounds on Prescott, Williams and Dale. The MSU source noted Prescott confirmed the Twitter user as one of his attackers. An hour after claiming responsibility, the Twitter account was locked and made private.
As for Prescott, he took to social media last night, posting the same message to Facebook and Twitter: “Thanks for all the Concerns and Prayers! I’m okay and ready to get back to Starkville. Ignorance happens! Be safe on Spring Break!”
Williams also took to Twitter, posting: “It’s all love, don’t let anyone try to trick you out of your position because your worth and status is more than theirs ?#HailState”
The MSU source said Prescott decided not to press charges on any of the alleged perpetrators of the incident.
None of the three players were available for comment.
Prescott is a 6-foot-3, 230-pounder from Haughton, La. After accounting for 42 touchdowns and more than 4,000 yards of offense as a junior, he finished eighth in the voting for Heisman Trophy, which is given annually to college football’s best player.
Williams, a 6-1, 220-pound quarterback, and Dale, a 6-6, 270-pound defensive end, are from New Orleans.
Follow Dispatch sports writer Brandon Walker on Twitter @BWonStateBeat
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