Report: Auburn bribed players, changed grades

[tk13]

Auburn's football program changed players' grades to secure eligibility, offered money to potential NFL draft picks so they would return for their senior seasons, and violated NCAA recruiting rules under former coach Gene Chizik, according to a report by former New York Times and Sports Illustrated writer Selena Roberts.

The report appears on Roberts' website, Roopstigo.com. According to three former Auburn players, as many as nine players' grades were changed before Auburn's win in the 2011 BCS national championship game.

"We thought we would be without (running back) Mike Dyer because he said he was one of them, but Auburn found a way to make those dudes eligible," former Auburn defensive lineman Mike Blanc told Roberts.

According to the report, Auburn coaches offered money to players for any number of reasons, including as a means to convince players to bypass the NFL draft.

Darvin Adams, a former Auburn wide receiver, told Roberts that coaches offered him cash to keep him at the school.

Blanc and Mike McNeil, another former Auburn player, told Roberts the money amounts reached "several thousand dollars."

"Coaches would say, 'Don't tell anyone where you got it from,'" Blanc told Roberts.

McNeil told Roberts he had a meeting with then-defensive coordinator Will Muschamp, now Florida's coach, in 2007.

"I had no clue what it was about because I'd never directly asked him for anything," McNeil told Roberts. "He slid about $400 over to me. He went into a drawer and gave me money and said, 'Is this enough? Is this good?' And I said, 'Yeah, I'm good.'"

McNeil is awaiting trial for armed robbery stemming from a March 2011 arrest. In June, his former teammate Antonio Goodwin was sentenced to 15 years in prison for his part in the incident. Ben Hand, McNeil's former attorney, maintained McNeil's innocence to Roberts.

Former Auburn defensive back Nieko Thorpe told Roberts that Auburn, in a team meeting, threatened players' scholarships if they contacted McNeil, Goodwin or the two other players arrested.

McNeil told Roberts he felt Auburn used him as a scapegoat at a time when the Tigers faced negative publicity from allegations that it had paid the father of star quarterback Cam Newton. An NCAA investigation found Auburn committed no major rules violations in Newton's recruitment.

"Maybe there is a fear in Auburn's mind that Michael knows too much," McNeil's father, Clifton, told Roberts. "Their fear is that Michael will expose the family secret. It's a way to silence him."

Thorpe also told Roberts the coaching staff far exceeded its NCAA-allotted per diem for entertaining recruits. Thorpe said coaches gave players $500 to entertain current Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick, even though the NCAA reportedly limits expenses to less than $50 per day.

All of these allegations happened under Chizik, who guided Auburn to its first national title since 1957 after the 2010 season.

Chizik was fired after a 3-9 season last year.

http://espn.go.com/college-football/...cording-report

[Setsuna]

As long as they didn't change Cam's grades they're fine. He singelhandedly won all their games and the National Title that year. All those other guys just had to play to make it 11 on 11.

[Alex Smith 4Ever]

Charles Barkley has admitted that his grades were changed

I'm sure every school does it

[Bewbies]

Originally Posted by Alex Smith 4Ever

Charles Barkley has admitted that his grades were changed

I'm sure every school does it

Charles Barkley went to Auburn.

[warpaint*]

I haven't read all the comments so if any of what I'm about to say is repetitive, meh whatever.

Here's the link to the original piece,

http://www.roopstigo.com/reader/aubu...tas_for_glory/

The entire article is nothing more than crocodile tears from the family of a kid charged w/ armed robbery that's fixin' to face the music with a misleading title. Knocking over a drug house and getting kicked off the football team doesn't generate a lot of internet hits to Ms. Roberts' website roopstigo.com (She is a founder). A little spice w/ some token they paid players junk thrown in a minuscule part of the total piece to lend credence to the title will do the trick though.

She's a AU alum who was also one of the leading torchbearers in the mob going after the Duke Lacrosse team a few years ago who never to my knowledge explained herself or apologized for the hatchet job she did on those kids. Fired by the NY Times, released by SI. Writing for some outlying website.

A couple of the players "quoted" have come out denying what she quoted,

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports...efits/2051603/

Maybe Auburn is paying players. It wouldn't be the first time (They practically lead the league in that category) nor would it surprise me. It would surprise me even less if they were changing grades to keep kids eligible. Regardless this Roberts chic has brought next to nothing to the table to compel me to believe what she alleges.

As for this McNeil kid claiming innocence, usually when I enter someone's house I pull my shirt over my head. It was just bad luck that a robbery was taking place. And even worse luck that he'd ridden over to said drug house w/ the would be criminals.

[chiefzilla1501]

Originally Posted by Brendan08901

I don't understand why sports need to be run through academics. In an ideal world, I think the NFL should have a developmental league.

Bad idea. The NBA got a whole lot better once they stopped drafting kids right out of high school. There are way too many kids who are either poorly coached in high school or dominated against shitty competition, and they're not mature enough to handle the big leagues. With that much certainty, the best thing to do is to force all players to compete against each other in the same league. And rather than take a whole shitload of kids out of the school system to chase false hopes, why not let them get an education on the side?

The majority of drafted college players improve by leaps and bounds over their 3-4 year college career. So it's clearly working.

[KChiefer]

I wonder if anyone involved will have a multimillion dollar bond set on them???

[Brendan08901]

Originally Posted by chiefzilla1501

Bad idea. The NBA got a whole lot better once they stopped drafting kids right out of high school. There are way too many kids who are either poorly coached in high school or dominated against shitty competition, and they're not mature enough to handle the big leagues. With that much certainty, the best thing to do is to force all players to compete against each other in the same league. And rather than take a whole shitload of kids out of the school system to chase false hopes, why not let them get an education on the side?

The majority of drafted college players improve by leaps and bounds over their 3-4 year college career. So it's clearly working.

i dont think a kid should be allowed to hop straight into the NFL right out of high school. But he should be allowed to choose whether he spends 2 years in college or 2 years in a farm system. i just don't agree with how we have players just going through the motions, spending a couple years majoring in philasophy when we all know its bullshit.

[chiefzilla1501]

Originally Posted by Brendan08901

i dont think a kid should be allowed to hop straight into the NFL right out of high school. But he should be allowed to choose whether he spends 2 years in college or 2 years in a farm system. i just don't agree with how we have players just going through the motions, spending a couple years majoring in philasophy when we all know its bullshit.

The best way to develop kids is to put them all in the same league to compete against each other. I want the best amateur players always playing the best amateur players. If you split between college and amateur, you're watering down the college talent level, which makes college football boring to watch and doesn't give these kids an opportunity to become competitive.

This isn't like basketball, where you can build a team around 2 or 3 great players. This is a competitive sport where you need 22 players and bench depth.

[WilliamTheIrish]

I hope no 'Bama fans kill more trees.

[alanm]

Originally Posted by Saul Good

Http://www.footballgeography.com/?p=1159

Every single Big 12 school is represented on this list. That's impressive. Hell, every school that has ever been in the conference is represented except Mizzou.

Well, usually you have to win something to be suspected of cheating.

[Brendan08901]

Originally Posted by chiefzilla1501

The best way to develop kids is to put them all in the same league to compete against each other. I want the best amateur players always playing the best amateur players. If you split between college and amateur, you're watering down the college talent level, which makes college football boring to watch and doesn't give these kids an opportunity to become competitive.

This isn't like basketball, where you can build a team around 2 or 3 great players. This is a competitive sport where you need 22 players and bench depth.

That's true.

[BlackHelicopters]

If you can't read, how do you know your grades need to be changed?

[Sorter]

I did not see that coming!

NSFW(gore?):

Spoiler!