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NCAA sanctions roll over Crimson Tide

Panel pondered 'death penalty'

Associated Press

Saturday, February 2, 2002

The NCAA placed Alabama football on five years' probation Friday, jolting the program Bear Bryant built into a power with a two-year bowl ban and heavy scholarship reductions.

The governing body said it considered giving the Crimson Tide the "death penalty" -- complete shutdown -- under the repeat violator rules for a recruiting scandal in which boosters were accused of paying money for high school players.

"They were absolutely staring down the barrel of a gun," said Thomas Yeager, chairman of the NCAA infractions committee. "These violations are some of the worst, most serious that have ever occurred."

The violations occurred under former coaches Mike DuBose and Gene Stallings.

The university said it would appeal, a process that could take six months. President Andrew Sorensen said university officials "are firm in our belief that the penalties are inappropriate."

Barring a successful appeal, the program that leads the nation in bowl appearances (51) and bowl victories (29) will miss the post- season for consecutive years for the first time since 1957-'58, the year Bryant arrived in Tuscaloosa. The Crimson Tide also cannot play in the Southeastern Conference championship game.

Alabama contested the two most publicized charges involving claims of boosters making five-figure payments to lure two recruits.

But it admitted some violations and imposed penalties on itself, including a reduction of 15 scholarships over three years and the temporary disassociation of three boosters at the heart of the recruiting scandal.

The NCAA went further.

It reduced the number of football scholarships the school can award by 21 over three years. It also said the university would face tougher penalties if it did not permanently disassociate the boosters.

The sanctions could cost the university millions. Last year, Alabama received about $1.5 million from its share of the SEC bowl proceeds and its take from the Independence Bowl.

None of the accusations involve current coach Dennis Franchione or his staff. He issued a statement saying, "Although the penalties handed down today are much stiffer than we anticipated, the mystery is cleared up and we know what we are up against."

DuBose released a statement through a Birmingham law firm. "I am deeply distressed and surprised by the severity of the sanctions," he said.

If Alabama is found guilty of further violations during the probationary period, Yeager suggested that the death penalty could result.

"God forbid there's ever another appearance, ever," Yeager said.

The Infractions Committee made these major findings:

-- A recruit, identified in news reports as Kenny Smith, and his parents were given $20,000 in cash, lodging and entertainment by two Crimson Tide boosters beginning in 1995. The first payment of $10,000 was made in $100 bills in a grocery bag. Smith signed with Alabama but couldn't meet academic requirements.

-- An Alabama booster identified as Logan Young of Memphis, Tenn., gave cash to a high school coach who was seeking $100,000 and two sport-utility vehicles in exchange for directing recruit Albert Means to Alabama. Means later transferred to Memphis.

-- An assistant coach, former recruiting coordinator Ronnie Cottrell, received two loans totaling $56,600 from Young in violation of NCAA rules. The loan was not repaid until the case became known.

-- A recruit, identified previously as Travis Carroll, was given the use of a car in 1999 for agreeing to attend Alabama. The car was repossessed when Carroll transferred to Florida.

In 1995, the Alabama program was placed on three years' probation. All-American defensive back Antonio Langham admitted signing with a sports agent the morning after the Tide gained the 1992 national title with a Sugar Bowl victory over Miami but returned to play his senior season.

Alabama would later win an appeal, getting one of the three years of probation lifted and nine of 26 scholarships restored.

Death at tryout: A student trying out for the Northern Illinois team died Friday after collapsing during conditioning drills in DeKalb, Ill.

Jawan Jackson, of the Chicago suburb of Robbins, was running sprints when he fell to one knee around 6:55 a.m. at the NIU student recreation center. He collapsed while athletic trainers were tending to him.

Jackson, a 19-year-old freshman, was taken to Kishwaukee Community Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 7:40 a.m.

"He appeared to be a healthy young man who was in fairly good shape," DeKalb County Coroner Dennis Miller said. An autopsy was scheduled for today.

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