'Bama encourages injured players to roll off the team

[Sturg1647545502]

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703384204575509901468451306.html

 

Shady dealing

 

 

 

Alabama's Unhappy Castoffs

 

Ex-Players Say Coach Nick Saban Pressured Them to Take Medical Scholarships; a 'Bitter' Outcome

 

By HANNAH KARP And DARREN EVERSON

 

http://si.wsj.net/public/resources/images/WK-AV476_SP_FEA_G_20100923184044.jpg Sports Illustrated/Getty Images Alabama coach Nick Saban leading his team onto the field before a Sept. 11 game against Penn State.

 

 

 

Former Alabama football players say the school's No. 1-ranked football program has tried to gain a competitive edge by encouraging some underperforming players to quit the team for medical reasons, even in cases where the players are still healthy enough to play.

At least 12 times since coach Nick Saban took over the program in 2007, Alabama has offered players a "medical" scholarship, according to public statements made by the team. These scholarships, which are allowed under NCAA rules, are intended to make sure scholarship athletes who are too injured to play don't lose their financial aid. A player who receives one of these scholarships is finished playing with that team.

Three Alabama players who've taken these exemptions say they believe the team uses the practice as a way to clear spots for better players by cutting players it no longer wants. These players said they believe Mr. Saban and his staff pressure some players to take these scholarships even though their injuries aren't serious enough to warrant keeping them off the field.

"I'm still kind of bitter," said former Alabama linebacker Chuck Kirschman, who took a medical scholarship last year. Mr. Kirschman said Mr. Saban encouraged him to accept the scholarship because of a back problem that he believes he could have played through. "It's a business," Mr. Kirschman said. "College football is all about politics. And this is a loophole in the system."

Alabama isn't the only school that has given players medical scholarships. Including the Crimson Tide, the 12 members of the Southeastern Conference have given at least 25 of these scholarships to football players in the past three years. Ultimately, it's the school's decision whether a player is healthy enough to play football.

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In a statement, Doug Walker, the school's associate athletic director for media relations, said Alabama's first priority in these situations is always the health of its players. "Decisions about medical disqualifications for student-athletes are made by medical professionals and adhere to the parameters outlined by the NCAA…and the Southeastern Conference," he said in the statement.

The school added that the "process for medical disqualification is very similar from campus to campus across the country." Alabama said that student-athletes sign a medical-exemption certificate agreeing that they fully understand the conditions, that the diagnosis of the injury or illness clearly appears to be an incapacitating one, and that there's a "reasonable expectation" they'll never again be able to play.

An Alabama spokesman said the school won't discuss individual cases, citing health-privacy laws. Mr. Saban declined to comment.

How college-football teams manage their allotted number of players is a serious competitive issue in the sport. The 120 schools in the NCAA's Football Bowl Subdivision, the sport's highest echelon, are limited to 85 scholarship athletes each. No more than 25 new signees are allowed to join a team in the fall. Because injuries are common, teams do whatever they can to make sure those spots are filled by the best athletes.

Because some players may fail to qualify academically, some teams take on more players than they have room for, to make sure they don't get caught short. The problem for teams comes when the numbers don't work out and the team winds up needing to make cuts.

Alabama, which won the national championship last season, is off to a dominating 3-0 start this year, including a blowout win over Penn State. The Crimson Tide play at No. 10 Arkansas Saturday in the weekend's most anticipated game.

The program is one of several in the SEC that have developed reputations for pushing roster limits. Since Mr. Saban took over as coach after a stint with the NFL's Miami Dolphins, Alabama has routinely had to trim its roster ahead of the season. Placing players on medical scholarships has helped it do so.

In some cases, the players who took these scholarships say they didn't feel pressured. Charles Hoke, a former Alabama offensive lineman who took a medical scholarship in 2008 because of a shoulder problem, said the choice was left entirely up to him and was based on the many conversations he had with the team's doctors and trainers over the course of his junior year.

Others who took these scholarships say they believe the school is violating the spirit of the rule. Mr. Kirschman, the linebacker, said he injured his back in April 2008 but continued practicing with the team through the spring of 2009. That May, he was approached by coaches and trainers and asked to take a medical scholarship.

"I wasn't playing significant minutes, but I was personally upset because I did anything coach asked, I was a team player, I had a 4.0 average," said Mr. Kirschman, who played in two career games, both in 2008, and is now working full time as a robot programmer at Mercedes.

Mr. Kirschman said the school offered in the summer of 2009 to pay for his graduate degree in business—an offer he accepted—and that he still gets some of the same perks as players. "I still get game tickets, which is nice," he says.

Mr. Kirschman said the decision to take the medical scholarship was ultimately his, and that he decided to do it to open up a scholarship for the good of the team. But he said he felt he was pressured. "It was pushed," he said. "It was instigated for several players."

In August 2009, Jeramie Griffin, a redshirt sophomore running back at Alabama, tore an anterior cruciate ligament in his knee during a practice—an injury that kept him out for that season. After undergoing surgery, he said, "I came back in the spring and I was OK."

Indeed, Mr. Griffin's bio on Alabama's official athletics website said he "looked strong in 2010 spring drills, just eight months off of surgery."

Mr. Griffin said that he was surprised last month when the football staff told him he had failed a physical. At that point, Mr. Griffin said, Mr. Saban sat him down and asked him what he wanted to do besides playing football. He said that Mr. Saban floated the possibility of a medical scholarship and asked if Mr. Griffin was interested in student coaching.

Mr. Griffin said he doesn't contest the results of the physical and said it was "basically my decision" to forgo the rest of his playing career.

Mr. Griffin said he has agreed to take a job as a student coach. He added that he felt less angry about being pushed to take the medical scholarship—which frees up roster space for the team—than he did about not living up to his potential.

"I felt like I could have played," he said.

[russian rocket]

so instead of being cut from the team and getting absolutely nothing, they are given another scholarship so that they can continue their schooling?

[Sturg1647545502]

Yea but instead of having an injured player take up part of their roster while hes out, they just cut him and fill his spot with a player that was previously ineligible.

 

Even though he might heal up and be able to play later on, the player has to make the decision to end his football career and peruse academia instead or wait and heal up.

[russian rocket]

Yea but instead of having an injured player take up part of their roster while hes out, they just cut him and fill his spot with a player that was previously ineligible.

 

Even though he might heal up and be able to play later on, the player has to make the decision to end his football career and peruse academia instead or wait and heal up.

 

yea it seems kinda sketchy from the player perspective but think about it from the coaches point of view. this player has a pretty bad injury and there is a good chance that he will not be coming back. lets give him the easy way out.

also it seems like they are doing a big favor to the shitty players, instead of cutting them and saying thanks but you suck. they instead are giving them a injured scholarship.

 

if in fact those players do heal up, im sure they will have the ability to try out for the team again or they can always transfer to another college

[Snowflake]

I dont see the real problem

[LJ]

the thread title is somewhat misleading as to what is actually happening. They are taking players who have some type of ailment but can play and are forcing them into a medical scholarship so that they can roll other guys into their spots.

[Sturg1647545502]

I dont see the real problem

I just find it interesting.The teams, with the spotlight on the SEC, are so competitive that they lure injured played off the team instead of waiting to see if they get better or not. Its just a side of NCAA football that i didn't know about...and personally dont like

 

Dont get me wrong its great that the injured player still gets a full ride and im sure this piece of info is used as a recruitment tool. But to me NCAA sports is all about passion, discipline and winning as a team as opposed to the NFL which i feel is focused on show and personal stats.

[Big Chief2011647545501]

they technically cant cut you from the team once you sign your commitment papers. When I ran track in college I was guaranteed four years of school. They dropped the program my freshman year paid for my sophomore year as long as I ran club. They eventually found another school I could transfer to with the same scholarship. If I didn't want to leave they would have had to for my other years.

[wnaplay1647545503]

I understand it and agree with it for an injured player but why do it for a player who isnt injured and isnt doing well. If they are there based on football skill and also given secondly an education why give them anything if they arent living up to expectations? I say if they cant perform due to lack of skill, then their ass out.

[phil]

Everyschool does it. Bama jus has a few more than everyone else. (2) more, and the players talked. Don't let it fool u, osu does it as well. Its opening spots for someone who could use it and someone who prolly isn't playing that much anyway. Ncaa is a business, get over it. Its about winning and money. Nothing esle matters.

[LJ]

they technically cant cut you from the team once you sign your commitment papers. When I ran track in college I was guaranteed four years of school. They dropped the program my freshman year paid for my sophomore year as long as I ran club. They eventually found another school I could transfer to with the same scholarship. If I didn't want to leave they would have had to for my other years.

 

?? Maybe that was just your school or sport, but the NCAA says that football scholarships are 1 year contracts. We already had the discussion in another thread

[LJ]

Everyschool does it. Bama jus has a few more than everyone else. (2) more, and the players talked. Don't let it fool u, osu does it as well. Its opening spots for someone who could use it and someone who prolly isn't playing that much anyway. Ncaa is a business, get over it. Its about winning and money. Nothing esle matters.

 

Tressel has awarded the most walk on scholarships out of all the big programs, which would be the exact opposite of what you are claiming they do.

[bicranium]

osu does it as well.

 

Examples?

[phil]

Its not public record, and I said osu that means any varsity sport. I know you all to beilive tressel as the next saint, but he jus has his program under tighter wraps. U think clarrett was lying? , half the players are doing as much wrong as any other program. It all depends on who speaks out, and what's reported. Again, rules are more of a by standard, there are more loops than a jungle gym. $ and W's is all its about. Saban will have that kid transfred to a smaller schpp. Next yr if he doesn't stfu.

[LJ]

Its not public record, and I said osu that means any varsity sport. I know you all to beilive tressel as the next saint, but he jus has his program under tighter wraps. U think clarrett was lying? , half the players are doing as much wrong as any other program. It all depends on who speaks out, and what's reported. Again, rules are more of a by standard, there are more loops than a jungle gym. $ and W's is all its about. Saban will have that kid transfred to a smaller schpp. Next yr if he doesn't stfu.

 

Yes, Tressel is sticking players on medical scholarship so he can give those scholarships to walk ons. Think about what you are saying before you say it next time.

[phil]

Yes, Tressel is sticking players on medical scholarship so he can give those scholarships to walk ons. Think about what you are saying before you say it next time.

 

 

 

I said all varsity sports have that option. You believe what you will, ill know what I know seeing as I've seen certain things 1st hand. Not from tressel directly, but from osu sports. Don't get butt hurt cuz its not all studying practicing and games. For a 3rd time, its about money and winning. The job is stressful as it is, anyway to gain an edge is what these programs will do.

[LJ]

I said all varsity sports have that option. You believe what you will, ill know what I know seeing as I've seen certain things 1st hand. Not from tressel directly, but from osu sports. Don't get butt hurt cuz its not all studying practicing and games. For a 3rd time, its about money and winning. The job is stressful as it is, anyway to gain an edge is what these programs will do.

 

It's to be more expected in programs that only have 5 or 6 full scholarships. I'm just saying that accusations can maybe sound better when the evidence for that particular thing is complete against what you are claiming.

[Sturg1647545502]

there is no evidence unless they kids themselves come out and say it. Other wise the colleges hide behind HIPPA and dont reveal anything

[DaddyBuiltRacing]

its called over signing and right now its a huge debate subject. The most popular schools doing this right now are Bama, Miami and a couple other SEC schools. What they are doing is taking more player in a recruiting class then they have available scholarships, suddenly a 2-3 guys that were previously on the team that get injured during the year are no longer on the team next year due to taking a "medical scholarship". That way the 2 or 3 extra kids they "over signed" now have a spot ont he 85 man roster, remember they only have 85 scholarship players on the football team, everyone else is there on their own dollar. So basically your telling a kid that is hurt, but could still play the next year "take this medical scholarship because we found someone better then you". Its just a matter of time before the NCAA steps in and puts a stop to this.

 

And Phil you claim OSU does it, but yet they are trying to get Tyler Moeller another year due to medical reasons, they did the same thing with Lawrence Wilson as well. They gave the walkon WR that got paralyzed a scholarship, that to me is the exact opposite of what your claiming is going on. If you look at OSU's recruiting classes, youll see they take as many kids as they have open spots for.

[bicranium]

I will repeat for Phil...

 

Examples?

 

And I have no idea why you brought up Clarett and off the field stuff. That has nothing to do with this subject. This is about Bama and other schools down south forcing dead weight off their team to make room for kids they promised scholarships to when they didn't actually have spots open.

[Main3s]

I think all Phil is trying to say is that it happens at almost every school. Not necessarily singling out OSU football, but just that it has happened. Is OSU one of the "Cleaner" programs? I'd like to think so, but if a story broke about OSU football breaking NCAA rules... I wouldn't be shocked. Just disappointed

 

With that being said, I didn't see the big deal at first, but if it's true about "over signing" players then that's an obvoius misuse of the rule to begin with and should be looked at.

[DaddyBuiltRacing]

Holy hell typed in Oversigning on yahoo and look what the first link brought up:

 

http://oversigning.com/testing/

 

It basically shows what Bama and other SEC schools are doing, then if you scroll down it praises OSU/Tressel for not doing it and actually using those "medical hardship" scholarships to reward other players such as walkons

 

Another link:http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/andy_staples/05/29/oversigning/index.html