Tuskegee coach Benjy Taylor 'at a loss for words' after being escorted off court in handcuffs

Tuskegee coach Benjy Taylor 'at a loss for words' after being escorted off court in handcuffsStory byBenjy Taylor had an issue with the Morehouse-Tuskegee handshake lines. It led to handcuffs. (Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images) (USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect / Reuters)Jack BaerStaff writerSun, February 1, 2026 at 2:06 AM UTC·2 min read

A Division II college basketball game between Tuskegee University and Morehouse College on Saturday ended with Tuskegee coach Benjy Taylor being escorted off the court in handcuffs.

In a video obtained by HBCU Gameday, a security officer can be seen escorting the cuffed Taylor past the stands and into a hallway. Another video shows the circumstances that led to the bizarre scene, with Taylor confronting a security officer about the handshake lines and the officer responding by pulling out the handcuffs.

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While Taylor is clearly angry, at no point does he appear to present any physical threat to the officer.

Taylor later provided a statement to The Field of 68's Jeff Goodman, criticizing the decision to handcuff him and saying he was simply voicing concerns about Morehouse football players entering the handshake line:

“I am at a loss for words and I am upset about how I was violated and treated today. For my players, my family and people of Tuskegee to witness that is heartbreaking for me. I was simply trying to get the football team out of the handshake line as they were following right behind me and the team yelling obscenities! It was a very dangerous situation.”

Tuskegee athletic director Reginald Ruffin also provided more context to HBCU Gameday. After the game, a 77-69 Morehouse win over Tuskegee, a group of Morehouse football players reportedly intermingled with the teams, which Ruffin described as a "security breach."

Taylor reportedly went to the security officer asking for the football players to be removed. Ruffin described his coach's actions as reasonable, but the security officer apparently saw something else, via HBCU Gameday:

“He asked the security officer, ‘Can you please remove them from the line?’ That’s what he asked the security officer,” Ruffin said.

Ruffin added that the security officer’s account differed, claiming Taylor was “very aggressive” and “the aggressor,” which Ruffin said was not accurate. He said the officer cited that perception as the reason Taylor was placed in cuffs.

Taylor reportedly released and traveled home with the team. He has been Tuskegee's head coach since 2019, per the school's site.

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