Dismissed Florida State quarterback De'Andre Johnson has contacted Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College about possibly enrolling, CBSSports.com has learned.
Athletic director Dale Patterson told CBSSports.com that Johnson reached out to the junior college by phone in the last week.
"There's been some conversation, but I don't think it's [gone far]," Patterson said. "Nothing has been decided. … It would be something that would have to be looked at and discussed at places higher than me. I think there is some interest on his part."
Johnson was dismissed July 6 after a video surfaced showing him punching a woman in a Tallahassee bar. Johnson has since appeared with his mother on ABC's Good Morning America expressing his remorse.
Johnson was a three-star prospect from Jacksonville, Fla., who enrolled at FSU in January.
Northeastern Oklahoma A&M is a six-time junior college national champion located in Miami, Okla. Among its more noted players are Missouri and NFL tailback James Wilder Sr. and former Miami and NFL tight end Jeremy Shockey.
The Norsemen finished 5-6 last season under Ryan Held, a former Nebraska walk-on receiver who was a grad assistant on Tennessee's 1998 national championship team.
A phone message left for Held was not immediately returned.
Patterson said Johnson's enrollment would have to be vetted through the president's office. However, Talks have not progressed that far. The school's fall semester begins Aug. 17. Practice starts about a week earlier.
"There would have to be certain stipulations and certain agreements," Patterson said. "America's been a pretty forgiving place. I think everybody deserves a second chance. I think it all depends on what he's willing to do."
Johnson has pleaded not guilty to a charge of misdemeanor battery. According to reports, Johnson has a case management hearing on Wednesday.
Patterson said he has seen the video that led to Johnson's dismissal.
"I was shocked by it," Patterson said. "There's never an excuse for that type of action. There's probably mistakes on both sides, but there's no excuse. It's a shocking situation, especially for a kid who looked like on paper a model student up until that time. It doesn't look like there's anything else in his background …
"One bad mistake can ruin your career."
Patterson then reiterated that talks between the two sides are preliminary.
