July 14--Former FSU QB De'Andre Johnson apologized on Good Morning America for hitting a woman at a Tallahassee bar last month and wishes he had just walked away.
Johnson spoke publicly for the first time since the incident -- which occurred June 24 and eventually led to a misdemeanor battery charge and his dismissal from the football program -- in an interview that aired on the ABC morning show Tuesday.
"There is no explanation for that," said Johnson, who was accompanied on-camera with his mother, Pamela Jones. "I totally should've walked away. I'm sorry.
"...I would like to say to [the woman] and her family that I am very sorry. No words can describe this feeling."
Johnson, 19, was asked if he had any drinks at the bar, to which he replied "No. I'm not going to comment on that." He also said he had never previously committed a violent act against a woman.
Johnson was kicked off FSU's football team July 6, shortly after video surfaced of him punching a woman at a Tallahassee bar in June. Johnson pleaded not guilty to a charge of misdemeanor battery.
"What you saw in that video, it's not who I am," Johnson said.
Email Brendan at bsonnone@orlandosentinel.com. Follow Brendan's FSU coverage on Twitter at @OSFSU
