From OnlineAthens.com
June 2nd, 2016 12:02 PM
DESTIN, Fla.--As a college football head coach at Wisconsin and now Arkansas, Bret Bielema has identified and brought in players into his program going on 11 seasons.
“I’m not saying my entire career I’ve recruited all angels, but I definitely know to stay away from certain situations,” he said.
The SEC last year made sure that coaches would stay away from particular transfers when it adopted a rule proposed by Georgia that kept players dismissed from a previous school for serious misconduct sexual assault, domestic violence or other forms of sexual violence from playing for a league school.
A working group recommended the rule be redefined this year to include dating violence or stalking and expand to include someone convicted or pled guilty or no contest to a felony for such behavior. Last year’s rule met some resistance but there’s been unanimous support in straw votes this week, commissioner Greg Sankey said. The measure is expected to be approved when the SEC wraps up its spring meetings Friday at the Sandestin Beach Hilton.
“It’s consistent with what we proposed last year,” UGA president Jere Morehead said. “I think we need to continue to be proactive in making sure student-athletes that meet our standards are the ones that enroll at SEC institutions.”
The rule last year came about after Georgia dismissed defensive lineman Jonathan Taylor who faced felony domestic violence charges for striking and choking his girlfriend. After attending junior college, he enrolled at Alabama where he was charged again in another domestic violence case with a different woman.
“It was timely as evidenced by what’s going on in today’s world,” Georgia athletic director Greg McGarity said. “This year now since it’s ramped up even more I think it was a great move by the conference to adopt that and try to get ahead of that as best you can.”
What’s still not included in the SEC rule are incoming freshmen, which is why Mississippi State could make its own call on 2016 five-star defensive line signee Jeffery Simmons from Noxubee County High School in Macon, Miss.
The school announced Thursday afternoon the player who was shown on a video striking a woman several times on the ground and charged with misdemeanor simple assault in the March incident is being allowed to enroll in school. The school noted he was breaking up a domestic fight between his sister and an adult woman.
"Based on conversations our staff has had with the school, community and church leaders in Noxubee County, this incident appears to uncharacterstic of Jeffery," athletic director Scott Stricklin said in a statement. "We expect the structure and discipline Jeffery will be a part of in our football program to benefit him. Jeffery will be held accountable for his actions while at MSU, and there will be consequences for any future incidents."
Simmons is suspended for the first game and will be evaluated by licensed professionals on campus.
McGarity said Wednesday expanding the serious misconduct rule to recruits “could” make sense “maybe down the road, but not right now. I think we’re focused on transfers right now.”
Sankey said decisions on incoming freshmen are left to schools themselves.
“If you’re transferring from a university, you’re generally of age, you’re 18 years or older,” Sankey said. “You’re in a higher education setting. You’re in an environment that maybe is very different from that in which you lived as a child, as a minor. Generally speaking before enrollment, they are minors, you may have difference access to legal records and information.”
Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen said Tuesday: “I think we want to be as fair to student-athletes at making sure that we’re not taking opportunities away from people that deserve opportunities in people’s mind but also not making decisions without other students’ safety or bringing people that might not be great for the university on campus.”
The SEC, as part of this year’s rule, is requiring schools to do minimum due diligence on transfers. Schools are expected to ask five questions to potential transfers that cover criminal charges or past record, violent acts towards others and past discipline.
McGarity said schools already have on enrollment forms questions about if a player committed a crime or had issues with law enforcement.
“We pay a lot of attention to that as far as have as many procedures in place that would hopefully have an awareness of any issues that may be out there,” he said.
South Carolina coach Will Muschamp is supportive of including freshmen in the rule. He said South Carolina “is going to do things the right way whether it’s for a freshman or transfer.”
Alabama’s Nick Saban, who has been outspoken about believing in giving second chances for players with discipline issues, said his program has 13 questions it asks guidance counselors, principals, high school coaches and coaches.
“You try to get some character questions answered that you don’t know if you’re getting the truth,” he said. “But we also ask the players specific questions. Something like, well, what do you think you need to do to be a good college football player? If the guy says nothing, that should set off a little alarm. I’ve had that happen before.”
The SEC transfer rule passed last year came into play when Bielema was considering bringing in a transfer from a Big Ten school.
The player “had an issue that hadn’t really come full circle. It didn’t involve violence, it involved a consensual situation and it was one of those difficult ones and I understand why and once I was told no, I just dropped it. Any times there’s some well-documented physical things toward women, there’s not a choice, it’s the only thing you have to be able to do. For those who don’t believe in that, you don’t have much of a leg to stand on.”
...READ MORE HERE...
June 2nd, 2016 12:02 PM
DESTIN, Fla.--As a college football head coach at Wisconsin and now Arkansas, Bret Bielema has identified and brought in players into his program going on 11 seasons.
“I’m not saying my entire career I’ve recruited all angels, but I definitely know to stay away from certain situations,” he said.
The SEC last year made sure that coaches would stay away from particular transfers when it adopted a rule proposed by Georgia that kept players dismissed from a previous school for serious misconduct sexual assault, domestic violence or other forms of sexual violence from playing for a league school.
A working group recommended the rule be redefined this year to include dating violence or stalking and expand to include someone convicted or pled guilty or no contest to a felony for such behavior. Last year’s rule met some resistance but there’s been unanimous support in straw votes this week, commissioner Greg Sankey said. The measure is expected to be approved when the SEC wraps up its spring meetings Friday at the Sandestin Beach Hilton.
“It’s consistent with what we proposed last year,” UGA president Jere Morehead said. “I think we need to continue to be proactive in making sure student-athletes that meet our standards are the ones that enroll at SEC institutions.”
The rule last year came about after Georgia dismissed defensive lineman Jonathan Taylor who faced felony domestic violence charges for striking and choking his girlfriend. After attending junior college, he enrolled at Alabama where he was charged again in another domestic violence case with a different woman.
“It was timely as evidenced by what’s going on in today’s world,” Georgia athletic director Greg McGarity said. “This year now since it’s ramped up even more I think it was a great move by the conference to adopt that and try to get ahead of that as best you can.”
What’s still not included in the SEC rule are incoming freshmen, which is why Mississippi State could make its own call on 2016 five-star defensive line signee Jeffery Simmons from Noxubee County High School in Macon, Miss.
The school announced Thursday afternoon the player who was shown on a video striking a woman several times on the ground and charged with misdemeanor simple assault in the March incident is being allowed to enroll in school. The school noted he was breaking up a domestic fight between his sister and an adult woman.
"Based on conversations our staff has had with the school, community and church leaders in Noxubee County, this incident appears to uncharacterstic of Jeffery," athletic director Scott Stricklin said in a statement. "We expect the structure and discipline Jeffery will be a part of in our football program to benefit him. Jeffery will be held accountable for his actions while at MSU, and there will be consequences for any future incidents."
Simmons is suspended for the first game and will be evaluated by licensed professionals on campus.
McGarity said Wednesday expanding the serious misconduct rule to recruits “could” make sense “maybe down the road, but not right now. I think we’re focused on transfers right now.”
Sankey said decisions on incoming freshmen are left to schools themselves.
“If you’re transferring from a university, you’re generally of age, you’re 18 years or older,” Sankey said. “You’re in a higher education setting. You’re in an environment that maybe is very different from that in which you lived as a child, as a minor. Generally speaking before enrollment, they are minors, you may have difference access to legal records and information.”
Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen said Tuesday: “I think we want to be as fair to student-athletes at making sure that we’re not taking opportunities away from people that deserve opportunities in people’s mind but also not making decisions without other students’ safety or bringing people that might not be great for the university on campus.”
The SEC, as part of this year’s rule, is requiring schools to do minimum due diligence on transfers. Schools are expected to ask five questions to potential transfers that cover criminal charges or past record, violent acts towards others and past discipline.
McGarity said schools already have on enrollment forms questions about if a player committed a crime or had issues with law enforcement.
“We pay a lot of attention to that as far as have as many procedures in place that would hopefully have an awareness of any issues that may be out there,” he said.
South Carolina coach Will Muschamp is supportive of including freshmen in the rule. He said South Carolina “is going to do things the right way whether it’s for a freshman or transfer.”
Alabama’s Nick Saban, who has been outspoken about believing in giving second chances for players with discipline issues, said his program has 13 questions it asks guidance counselors, principals, high school coaches and coaches.
“You try to get some character questions answered that you don’t know if you’re getting the truth,” he said. “But we also ask the players specific questions. Something like, well, what do you think you need to do to be a good college football player? If the guy says nothing, that should set off a little alarm. I’ve had that happen before.”
The SEC transfer rule passed last year came into play when Bielema was considering bringing in a transfer from a Big Ten school.
The player “had an issue that hadn’t really come full circle. It didn’t involve violence, it involved a consensual situation and it was one of those difficult ones and I understand why and once I was told no, I just dropped it. Any times there’s some well-documented physical things toward women, there’s not a choice, it’s the only thing you have to be able to do. For those who don’t believe in that, you don’t have much of a leg to stand on.”
...READ MORE HERE...
