OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma State wide receiver Dez Bryant, a former Lufkin Panther, will remain suspended for the remainder of the football season for lying to NCAA investigators.
The NCAA ruled Tuesday that the junior All-American will not be eligible to play until September 2010, possibly bringing his college career to an end if he enters the NFL draft.
Associated Press file photo |
In this Sept. 19, 2009, file photo, Oklahoma State wide receiver Dez Bryant, runs down field during the first half of an NCAA college football game in Stillwater, Okla.
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Oklahoma State plans to appeal the decision, but athletic department spokesman Kevin Klintworth declined further comment. The university said it could receive a decision on the appeal as early as next week.
The university announced on Oct. 7 that Bryant was ineligible because he lied to the NCAA about his relationship with former NFL star Deion Sanders. He has sat out the last four games for the No. 13 Cowboys (6-1, 3-0 Big 12), who host No. 3 Texas on Saturday night in a game that will likely determine which team plays for the Big 12 championship.
The NCAA said in a news release that Bryant's penalty actually constituted "relief" from even more severe penalties for breaking the agency's rules for ethical conduct and preferential treatment. Bryant could have been forced to miss as few as six games or be permanently ineligible.
The NCAA said mitigating factors presented in Oklahoma State's case resulted in a lighter penalty for Bryant. The decision was based on whether Bryant "actively and deliberately concealed, omitted or provided inaccurate or false information" to the NCAA and whether he had multiple chances to provide accurate information but did not do so.
E-mail exchanges between an Oklahoma State compliance official and the NCAA indicate that there was concern that Bryant's meeting with Sanders was a way to connect him to an agent, something Sanders has denied. Bryant claimed in a letter of apology to the NCAA that he jogged briefly with Sanders at a Texas athletics center without breaking a sweat and then went to Sanders' house for dinner, but did not eat.
Oklahoma State said in its reinstatement request that it would classify the meeting as a violation of NCAA rules prohibiting preferential treatment.
Bryant caught 87 passes for 1,480 yards and 19 touchdowns last season while also scoring twice on punt returns. This season, Bryant led the team with 17 catches for 323 yards and four touchdowns through OSU's first three games.
While Bryant played in OSU's first three games, OSU compliance officials were investigating an apparent meeting he had with former NFL players Sanders and Omar Stoutmire that he later lied about to the NCAA. Bryant sent a letter with his initial application for reinstatement, asking to play again this season and that his "punishment is not so bad that I do not get to play football again at OSU."
Bryant has not commented publicly since the university ruled him ineligible because he "failed to openly disclose to the NCAA the full details of his interaction with a former NFL player not affiliated with OSU." Sanders later identified himself as that player, and Bryant also referred to him in his letter to the NCAA.
After his initial suspension, the university released a statement from Bryant saying "I made a mistake by not entirely truthful when meeting with the NCAA."
Comments
By numb digger
Nov 20, 2009 4:13 PM | Link to this
Loot bip. Harpet cead.
By ALEX
Nov 13, 2009 6:34 PM | Link to this
(IN GOD WE TRUST) TO BE FRANK ABOUT THE WHOLE THING...THE TIME COULD BE SPENT HERE..HELPING CHILDREN IN AFRICA, OR TAKING TIME OUT TO VOLUTEER AT THE CHURCH OR FEEDING THE SICK AND POOR. BUT YET YOU BOTH SIT HERE GOING BACK AND FORTH ABOUT TWO MEN WHO ARE APPERENTLY DOING SOMETHING WITH THEIR LIVES AND ARE GOING TO EAT AND BE RICH AND WEALTHY WITHOUT THE IMPUT OF THE TWO OF YOU TIMES 1 MILLION, BE A BLESSING TO SOMEONE WHO REALLY NEEDS HELP...GOD BLESS YOU BOTH!!!! AMEN!!!
By mr big
Nov 12, 2009 7:04 PM | Link to this
dez used his free will and lied to the ncaa. it wasn't deion's fault he lied, nicole. i would eat at deion's, but i wouldn't lie about it. i guess deion should hold dez's hand, meagan, cause a white lie is like any other lie to the ncaa, a lie. all lie's are the same to the ncaa and god.
By PainfullyObvious
Nov 5, 2009 6:22 PM | Link to this
No matter how you crunch the numbers, college athletes' graduation rates raise the same concerns. The NCAA on Thursday released its second set of "graduation success rates," which lagged in men's basketball and football ı and particularly for black players in those high-stakes, high-profile sports.
Fewer than half the black basketball players who entered Division I schools on scholarship in the four-year period from 1995-98 earned degrees within six years. In I-A and I-AA football, blacks graduated at a modest 54% rate. It was 55% in I-A.
Both are well beneath the 76% rate for all athletes who arrived from high school or transferred from other colleges in that time.
By PainfullyObvious
Nov 5, 2009 6:05 PM | Link to this
Data on all varsity athletes at a major university over a ten-year period were examined to assess the differences, if any, between whites and blacks in precollege academic preparation and college achievement. White athletes scored higher than their black peers on every measure of academic potentialıACT, SAT, high school rank, and high school grade point average. These differences in preparation translate into greater academic success in college for whites, both in better grades and a higher graduation rate. These findings confirm that schools with big-time sports programs tend to recruit black athletes who are academically marginal, thus a high rate of academic failure for them. The implications of this form of racial exploitation are elaborated.
By Wondering
Nov 5, 2009 4:33 PM | Link to this
This brings to mind the "soft bigotry of low expectations" raised in discussions of public education policy. When more than a few talented athletes (Division I signees) are incapable of passing high school exit or college entrance exams, and unable to handle university level courses after a stint at junior college, reasonable questions arise. How do these kids remain academically eligible to participate at the high school level? There seems to be a disconnect here. While there may be a reasonable explanation, it's not been widely circulated. Perhaps someone here can provide some insight.
By ObviouslyPainful
Nov 5, 2009 12:55 PM | Link to this
LPF,
Football is not evil. Greed is evil. Not all greed is about money. Some of it is about self-agrandizement.
Black youth are lied to about football opportunities. It leads them to forsake educational opportunties for supposed football glory. Those that promote these dreams are not only wrong, but also evil.
Sir, you and many like you encourage this deception for your pleasure knowing that it is a lie aimed at Black youth.
You assume that I am not active in helping Black you.
By LPF
Nov 5, 2009 8:46 AM | Link to this
PO,
You are making football the bad guy when it is anything but.
PLEASE give us proof of abuse of athletes at LHS!!
Why don't you quit making excuses, quit playing the victim and do something about this exploitation you think exists. I think you will find that everyone of the players on that field would take offense at your allegations. After all you are basically saying they are to stupid to realize they are being taken advantage of..... Why don't you call it to their attention and do something about it.
We live in a free country and everyone on that field chooses to be there. You cannot deny that fact.
I assure you, you know nothing about my standards. Your comment about slavery is ignorant. There is no comparison. Try to think before you speak.....
Do you even know anyone on the team? Or maybe you know someone who knows someone on the team? (see your first post) Who are you to think you know the hearts and minds of the people that support football?
It boils down to this: Grow up and take ownership of your actions and quit blaming others! Don't make everything out to be someone else's fault....
By Meagan Lightfoot
Nov 4, 2009 8:18 PM | Link to this
PainfullyObvious
Like I told you earlier don't worry about me or my life worry about yourself! Thank you though.
By PainfullyObvious
Nov 4, 2009 7:56 PM | Link to this
Miss Lightfoot:
I note that you have not taken any steps to improve your grammar. Earlier you mentioned that you did not graduate from the LISD. This begs the question; from where did you graduate?
It is obvious that they deserve a note of condolence....and the taxpayers a hefty refund.
Your silliness aside, why are you so comfortable with the exploitation of Black athletes?
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