USC Receiver Mike Williams Denied Re-Instatement

[jason]

From Yahoo! Sports:

NCAA denies reinstatement request for Mike Williams

By JOHN NADEL, AP Sports Writer
August 26, 2004


LOS ANGELES (AP) -- All-American Mike Williams was denied his request to play for Southern Cal by the NCAA on Thursday, leaving the star receiver unable to rejoin the top-ranked Trojans after being shut out of the NFL draft by the courts.

``I'm glad it's over. Now the team can move forward and I can move forward,'' Williams said in a telephone interview. ``I'm disappointed. I did everything asked of me. I don't know yet what I'm going to do. I'll just relax for the weekend and watch the game and root for my team.''

The ruling came down shortly before the Trojans boarded an airplane for Baltimore. They open their season Saturday night against Virginia Tech at FedEx Field in Landover, Md.

USC coach Pete Carroll was angry with the ruling and its timing.

``It's very cold and insensitive for them to deny him this opportunity,'' he said. ``As a football team, we've been prepared for this for a while. I'm not surprised by it, but I'm disappointed for Mike and his family. You'll have to go and ask the NCAA for answers, how they can turn someone down who is academically eligible.''

The school had applied to the NCAA for a progress-toward-degree waiver and reinstatement of Williams' eligibility.

USC officials were unsure if there were any appeals still available for Williams but he said he didn't plan to pursue them, anyway.

``I'm kind of done with it right now,'' he said.

Williams caught 95 passes for 1,314 yards and a school-record 16 touchdowns last season to help the Trojans (12-1) win the national championship.

The 20-year-old Williams, a sure-handed 6-foot-5, 230-pounder, finished eighth in the Heisman Trophy balloting as a sophomore last year.

After a court ruled that Ohio State's Maurice Clarett was eligible to play in the NFL, Williams left USC in the spring, hired an agent and said he was turning pro. That made him ineligible to play for the Trojans.

He was projected as a high draft pick, but on May 24, an appeals court overturned the earlier ruling and upheld the NFL's right to bar players who had been out of high school for less than three years.

Williams has been out of high school less than three years, as has Clarett, who was suspended last season after starring at Ohio State as a freshman.

After the appeals court ruling, Williams severed ties with his agent and began the process of applying to the NCAA for reinstatement.

He returned to USC and took summer classes, seeking to have his academic eligibility also restored.

[Keith7]

WOW he really got screwed over in this incident

[HighSchool Fan]

He only screwed himself. He could of applied for the draft without an agent and still went back to collage. He should of not hired an agent until that mess was solved.

[vfunk]

thats what the NCAA does...screws kids over.

[jason]

but going in early was ok'd, but the nfl got that overturned after the fact...

[HighSchool Fan]

He should of waited to hire an agent. He could of set something up with an agent behind closed doors. He only has himself to blame. It was never set in stone that the underclassmen would be allowed to play. Everyone new the NFL was going to appeal the decision.

[Gobbla2001]

Originally posted by HighSchool Fan
He should of waited to hire an agent. He could of set something up with an agent behind closed doors. He only has himself to blame. It was never set in stone that the underclassmen would be allowed to play. Everyone new the NFL was going to appeal the decision.

The NCAA goes along with the BCS so this one does not shock me at all

Sure, don't get an agent, but the kid was sure he'd be able to play... Yes he's reponsible for his own actions in the end, I agree... But the NCAA denying a kid to play college football (meaning he may STAY in college and get an EDUCATION if he does get to PLAY) is BS like the BcS!

BTW... 'talking' to an agent isn't any more legal than 'hiring' an agent to the NCAA (watch college basketball, you'll hear about 'he talked to this guy and is suspended' etc...)...

That's good advice... Go talk to one behind closed doors, be dishonest..

[crzyjournalist03]

I just wonder what this is gonna do to his future and how it will affect him in the draft next year if he can't play...If I were him, I'd head to the AFL or Canadian league or something in the mean time.

[Keith7]

whatever happened to Maurice Clarett?? where is he now?

[Keith7]

Originally posted by crzyjournalist03
I just wonder what this is gonna do to his future and how it will affect him in the draft next year if he can't play...If I were him, I'd head to the AFL or Canadian league or something in the mean time.

Celina will probobly have a new transfer student from USC soon

[crzyjournalist03]

Originally posted by Keith7
Celina will probobly have a new transfer student from USC soon

Don't you mean Pilot Point? :D :cool: ;)

[HighSchool Fan]

Originally posted by Gobbla2001


BTW... 'talking' to an agent isn't any more legal than 'hiring' an agent to the NCAA (watch college basketball, you'll hear about 'he talked to this guy and is suspended' etc...)...



So you are saying that you can't talk to an agent to see if you want to hire him. If that is what your saying, your wrong. I was talking to a player who plays for the Atlanta Falcons, from Gainesville, and he said that you can talk to an agent at any time, you just can't hire one.

I agree the NCAA screws most players, but this one is all on Williams.

[Gobbla2001]

Originally posted by HighSchool Fan
So you are saying that you can't talk to an agent to see if you want to hire him. If that is what your saying, your wrong. I was talking to a player who plays for the Atlanta Falcons, from Gainesville, and he said that you can talk to an agent at any time, you just can't hire one.

I agree the NCAA screws most players, but this one is all on Williams.

After your last season of athletic eligibility you are allowed to...

[HighSchool Fan]

I think that we should just agree to disagree and end this here.

[Gobbla2001]

Originally posted by HighSchool Fan
I think that we should just agree to disagree and end this here.

Cool beans...

You'll trust your friend and I'll trust my Dick Vitale ;)

[JasperDog94]

I've got to agree with HighSchoolFan on this one. He knew the risks. He gambled and crapped out.

On another note, did Williams take a full load this summer and pass all his classes?

[Keith7]

Originally posted by HighSchool Fan
So you are saying that you can't talk to an agent to see if you want to hire him. If that is what your saying, your wrong. I was talking to a player who plays for the Atlanta Falcons, from Gainesville, and he said that you can talk to an agent at any time, you just can't hire one.

I agree the NCAA screws most players, but this one is all on Williams.

How did you become such good friends with Kevin Mathis?

[JasperDog94]

Originally posted by vfunk
thats what the NCAA does...screws kids over. Yeah, you're right. That's what the NCAA is all about, screwing over kids.:rolleyes: :rolleyes: Give me a freakin' break.:crazy: :crazy: :crazy:

[GoDeep]

I applaud the NCAA for this decision. The idea is that Williams went to USC to get an education and that football was going to pay for it; not that he was going to USC to look good for NFL scouts.
Besides, am I the only one who thinks this is alot like breaking up with someone for someone else, and when they dump you, you come back?

[JasperDog94]

As a teammate, I certainly would have doubts about him coming back. Granted he's a heck of a receiver, but it's kinda like being the backup date for the prom.

[Old Tiger]

That sucks but is kind of funny...

[Keith7]

Originally posted by GoDeep
I applaud the NCAA for this decision. The idea is that Williams went to USC to get an education and that football was going to pay for it; not that he was going to USC to look good for NFL scouts.
Besides, am I the only one who thinks this is alot like breaking up with someone for someone else, and when they dump you, you come back?

Who needs an education when you can recieve millions of dollars?

[Keith7]

Originally posted by JasperDog94
As a teammate, I certainly would have doubts about him coming back. Granted he's a heck of a receiver, but it's kinda like being the backup date for the prom.

I am sure any other college team would be happy to take him

[GoDeep]

Originally posted by Keith7
Who needs an education when you can recieve millions of dollars?

Ohhh, I dunno, why dontcha ask Lawrence Phillips about that.

[HighSchool Fan]

Originally posted by Keith7
How did you become such good friends with Kevin Mathis?

He lived a few houses down the street from me growing up.

[JasperDog94]

Originally posted by Keith7
Who needs an education when you can recieve millions of dollars? me no wants to argu wit smartt mann.?! just give chek.? edukaton, it hily overat@d...

[Keith7]

Originally posted by JasperDog94
me no wants to argu wit smartt mann.?! just give chek.? edukaton, it hily overat@d...

he is not retarded.. He is probobly a year older then me.. but i promise that if i could quit college and make millions of dollars, i'd do it in a heart beat..

[JasperDog94]

I never said Williams was retarded. I'm referring to your statement of "who needs an education when you can make millions?" Money is no substitute for intellect.

[Keith7]

Originally posted by JasperDog94
I never said Williams was retarded. I'm referring to your statement of "who needs an education when you can make millions?" Money is no substitute for intellect.

He would have enough money to pay other people to think for him

[JasperDog94]

Originally posted by Keith7
He would have enough money to pay other people to think for him "Hey Mike! Let me help myselt to...err...I mean help you with your money." No thanks. That's why many of these guys end up broke. They have no idea how to manage money. Guess what? They offer college courses that deal with this kind of stuff!!!:eek: :eek: :eek:

[Keith7]

there have been thousands and thousands of professionals who didnt finish school, in every sport, not just football, just because 1 guy has a gambling problem.. I dont see why people would expect every other person to

[JasperDog94]

Who said anything about a gambling problem? I'm talking about someone being smart enough to manage money.

[Keith7]

Originally posted by JasperDog94
Who said anything about a gambling problem? I'm talking about someone being smart enough to manage money.

Well he could hire someone to do that for him, or he could do it himself..

I think we learned that in 1st grade maybe..

[JasperDog94]

Well at any rate he won't have to worry about that until next year.

[HighSchool Fan]

Originally posted by Gobbla2001
Cool beans...

You'll trust your friend and I'll trust my Dick Vitale ;)

"There were alternatives," Wally Renfro, senior adviser to NCAA President Myles Brand, said in a telephone interview from Washington, D.C. "There are things the student-athlete can do. He can seek advice from experts, he can enter his name in the draft. But the timing didn't require Mike to sign with an agent."

I'll trust my friend and the NCAA on this one.