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Clarett's Allegations Reportedly Backed by Ex-Buckeyes
Three former Ohio State football players backed up some of Maurice Clarett's allegations that players received improper benefits while on the team, ESPN.com reported Wednesday night.
Carolina Panthers wide receiver Drew Carter, former OSU linebacker Fred Pagac Jr. and former Buckeyes fullback Jack Tucker said in a story posted on the Web site that they knew of tutors who completed homework for players. Carter said he was overpaid for working odd jobs.
Ohio State athletic director Andy Geiger and sports information director Steve Snapp did not immediately return messages left by The Associated Press late Wednesday night.
But Snapp told ESPN.com he thought the story was "another example of selective journalism on (ESPN's) part and an attempt to run an unbalanced story."
Pagac's father, Fred Sr., was an assistant coach at Ohio State for 19 years. Tucker was an Academic All-Big Ten pick.
"There are always people who will help you and cross the line," Pagac was quoted as saying in the report. "I've personally seen it happen. You had tutors who if you asked them for help writing a paper they'd end up writing it. You'd go in and ask help about specifics, and then it would end up getting written."
Carter told ESPN.com that he "got paid quite a bit of money for sweeping, cleaning up stuff, doing like very, very light work."
In an interview with ESPN The Magazine earlier this month, Clarett accused coach Jim Tressel, his staff and school boosters of arranging for him to get passing grades, cars, and thousands of dollars, including for bogus summer jobs.
The school denied the claims, and some former players told ESPN they never saw any wrongdoing in the Ohio State program. Carter, Pagac and Tucker told ESPN.com they didn't believe Tressel set up Clarett with vehicles.
Clarett led Ohio State to the national championship in 2002 as a freshman. But he then was suspended for lying to investigators during an NCAA probe of allegations that he received improper benefits from a family friend.
Source: AP
Carolina Panthers wide receiver Drew Carter, former OSU linebacker Fred Pagac Jr. and former Buckeyes fullback Jack Tucker said in a story posted on the Web site that they knew of tutors who completed homework for players. Carter said he was overpaid for working odd jobs.
Ohio State athletic director Andy Geiger and sports information director Steve Snapp did not immediately return messages left by The Associated Press late Wednesday night.
But Snapp told ESPN.com he thought the story was "another example of selective journalism on (ESPN's) part and an attempt to run an unbalanced story."
Pagac's father, Fred Sr., was an assistant coach at Ohio State for 19 years. Tucker was an Academic All-Big Ten pick.
"There are always people who will help you and cross the line," Pagac was quoted as saying in the report. "I've personally seen it happen. You had tutors who if you asked them for help writing a paper they'd end up writing it. You'd go in and ask help about specifics, and then it would end up getting written."
Carter told ESPN.com that he "got paid quite a bit of money for sweeping, cleaning up stuff, doing like very, very light work."
In an interview with ESPN The Magazine earlier this month, Clarett accused coach Jim Tressel, his staff and school boosters of arranging for him to get passing grades, cars, and thousands of dollars, including for bogus summer jobs.
The school denied the claims, and some former players told ESPN they never saw any wrongdoing in the Ohio State program. Carter, Pagac and Tucker told ESPN.com they didn't believe Tressel set up Clarett with vehicles.
Clarett led Ohio State to the national championship in 2002 as a freshman. But he then was suspended for lying to investigators during an NCAA probe of allegations that he received improper benefits from a family friend.
Source: AP