Auburn University football program paid players to stay at the program instead of going to the NFL, changed grades to ensure eligibility, and ignored NCAA recruiting regulations, Selena Roberts reported.
All of this allegedly happened while under former head coach Gene Chizik, according to ESPN.com.
Three former Auburn football players said that before Auburn’s 2011 BCS Championship title, up to nine players' grades were changed to make sure they were eligible.
“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.
Blanc would later deny the quote in a tweet: “Man this article is outrageous and isn't true."
According to the report, Blanc and another former player Mike McNeil said the money paid the keep players at Auburn reached to “several thousand dollars”.
Blanc would again clarify his comments on AL.com.
"Yeah. Me, personally, I don't have any direct knowledge of it," he said. "You just hear stuff. I'm pretty sure other guys on the team that know more, like guys that were closer to Darvin and these other players I know. Darvin probably would have told those guys. I know Mike and Darvin were really cool. Maybe Darvin could have shared some information with Mike. But, me, personally, I don't know nothing factual that any guys got any money."
According to the article, McNeil also recalled being given the green light to commit recruiting violations. A star player at Auburn, he said he was given $500 to entertain high school prospect Will Muschamp. The NCAA allows a limit of $50 to entertain future players.
“This is how it goes: Coaches have certain players that they trust. And when I say trust I mean on the field and off the field,” McNeil said. “It’s within the family. It’s within the system. If I’m a star player and I’m a likable person, and a recruit comes in at my position, then, of course, I’m going to take him under my wing. … If a star recruit was in town, you would get a lot more than the NCAA limit.”
McNeill is currently waiting to stand trial for armed robbery. Auburn players have been threatened with dire consequences if they tried to contact McNeil, according former defensive back Nieko Thorpe’s statement in the article.
Robert's report outlines questionable incidents the night of McNeil's arrest. For example, Chizik knew the charges against McNeil and was about to tell the press he was kicking McNeil off the team, before McNeil's family even knew what the charges were. McNeil's former attorney, Ben Hand, still claims McNeil is innocent.
"Maybe there is a fear in Auburn's mind that Michael knows too much," McNeil's grandfather, Clifton, said. "Their fear is that Michael will expose the family secret. It's a way to silence him."
McNeil believes he's a scapegoat for allegations that were brought against the school concerning possible violations with former star Cam Newton. The NCAA had not found enough evidence to punish Auburn. Newton’s father had allegedly asked for money from the school.
Thorpe would later tell the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer he was misquoted and was “ just trying to clear my name up and let Auburn fans and Auburn nation know the things that were said in that report were not my words."
Roberts explained her feelings about the redacted statements from players in an interview with AL.com.
"I think it's very difficult to take a strong stance and to tell the truth and then to have to deal with the consequences in a place where I think the story even shows that there is a great deal of pressure to keep what's in-house, in-house," she said. "I think the entire sort of umbrella of the story explains just what's at risk for people who step outside the bounds. In some ways, it almost dovetails with the story that they may not know exactly what's going on. They may feel that kind of pressure to then alter what they said to me."
Gene Chizik did not provide comment.
The full report can be read at Robert’s website roopstigo.com.
