October 17 was supposed to be a night of celebration for the Miami Hurricanes after their thrilling win over Florida State kept their unbeaten run alive. But for defensive lineman Damon Wilson II, the victory came with an ugly aftermath. Instead of enjoying the moment, Wilson found himself on the receiving end of disturbing online messages allegedly sent from an account linked to a Florida Bar employee.

The 21-year-old shared a screenshot of an account allegedly linked to Kade McLendon that contained disturbing messages. The messages were riddled with racist and homophobic slurs, including the n-word, threats of sexual violence against his family, vile references to slavery, and chilling threats directed at him and his loved ones.

“Glimpse into the life of a black student athlete,” Wilson captioned as he shared the screenshot on his Instagram.

The threats spread across social media like wildfire. Just a day after the disturbing incident, the Florida Bar broke its silence with a statement addressing the action taken against McLendon.

“The Florida Bar is aware of messages that were possibly sent from an employee’s social media account that contained inappropriate content, and we have started an internal investigation into this matter,” the Florida Bar wrote on X.

With McLendon now difficult to reach after deleting his Instagram and LinkedIn accounts in the wake of the controversy, details about his background have emerged.

According to the Miami Herald, he had worked as a computer technician at the Florida Bar since June 2024 and graduated from Florida State University.

“The messages in question are not only ethically and morally reprehensible, but also violate our internal social media policy for employees,” the email from a Bar spokesperson said. “As the internal investigation continues, we are committed to enforcing our policies and procedures while making sure that any due process rights are protected.”

Damon Wilson II arrived in South Florida after previous stints at Georgia and Missouri, adding another chapter to his football journey. He wasted little time making his presence felt, recording 3.5 sacks and four tackles this season.

Although he failed to register a sack or tackle against Florida State, his contribution remained vital to Miami’s victory.

The victory was sweet, but it came at a cost, as a barrage of abuse overshadowed the celebrations. However, through these difficult times, his teammates have stood firmly by his side, offering him strength and support.

“He’s our brother, so anything he needs us to do to be there for him,” said UM tight end Elija Lofton.

Miami offensive lineman Ryan Rodriguez also came forward to support his teammate, speaking about him on Tuesday, “That’s my brother, and I embrace him. It’s more than a game. That’s my brother.”

Even the students came forward to stand by Wilson, expressing that such behavior should not be tolerated in college football.

“Football’s supposed to be made to be a fun, shared experience. University of Miami is coming back from just building off their program with Coach Cristobal. And these kids are putting a lot out there, right? So they’re putting themselves, their health, and everything to be treated like that. It’s crazy,” said medical student Victoria Alvarez.

“I think it’s ridiculous. Like, come on, it’s sports,” said UM sophomore student Jarrett Soto.

When The People reached out to a Florida Bar spokesperson, they confirmed that McLendon was “on administrative leave while the investigation is ongoing” and emphasized that they would investigate the matter further to determine what led to the incident in the first place.

Still undefeated at 6-0, Miami have climbed to No. 1 in the nation, but can they keep their perfect record intact when Pittsburgh comes knocking?