LT Anthony Belton will Not Start for NC State Against NIU After Ejection

NC State Head Coach Dave Doeren announced today at his weekly press conference that Redshirt Senior Left Tackle Anthony Belton will not start this Saturday against Northern Illinois, after being ejected this past Saturday in the game against Clemson for spitting on a player.

Here’s what Doeren had to say regarding Belton’s actions:

I was really disappointed in Anthony Belton’s response.

You know, things happen on the piles, and all kinds of things happen in piles. And we all know as players, and Anthony knows as a player, the guy that responds and retaliates is always the one that gets penalized, and a tough lesson for him. He put strain on our team and got ejected from the game for it, and he’s learning a tough lesson.

He won’t start in this football game, and that’s just not what we do. And so, you know, he’ll learn from that, and he’ll grow from that, and choices have consequences. That’s something that he’ll have to learn from and prove himself and come back from it and be better for it.

But that’s not a representation of him. He’s a great young man that made a bad mistake, and he’ll pay for it. And, you know, our hope is he’ll grow from it and get better when things get heated.

And you’ve got to respond, not react. Take that second. Take a breath.