Carnell Williams take on the NYT story

[cleburnecountytigerfan 0]

I found this article where Carnell Williams discusses his role in the NYT story. Carnell says by the time he started taking directed reading classes from Dr. Petee his football career at Auburn was already over, so taking these classes had nothing to do with him trying to remain eligible to play footbll at Auburn.

http://www.sptimes.com/2006/07/16/Bucs/Wil...s_grades_.shtml

Williams says grades legit

By STEPHEN F. HOLDER

Published July 16, 2006

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TAMPA - Among those shocked by the allegations in a story published last week about Auburn football players receiving grades they didn't deserve was Bucs running back Cadillac Williams, who was mentioned prominently in the New York Times article.

"Once I saw the story, I was like, 'Wow,' " Williams said Saturday before participating in teammate Michael Clayton's charity basketball game at the St. Pete Times Forum.

"For one, I haven't done anything wrong, and I feel Auburn hasn't done anything wrong. I'm sure once the NCAA contacts Auburn, everything should just blow over."

Williams found himself embroiled in the controversy when James Gundlach, director of the sociology department, told the paper numerous athletes received high grades in Thomas Petee's one-on-one sociology courses, which required no attendance and little work.

Williams said he took two such classes with Petee in his final semester, spring 2005. Playing in the Senior Bowl and traveling around the country preparing for the draft made attending classes virtually impossible.

Williams said, however, he earned legitimate grades and completed assignments to earn the marks. He also stressed that his taking the one-on-one courses had nothing to do with trying to remain eligible for football because he enrolled after the completion of his final season with the Tigers, fall 2004 when they finished 13-0.

"I was definitely done" with football, he said. "It was just something where I was trying to get closer to graduating because I always told my mom that I was going to graduate and I'm still going to graduate."

Petee acknowledged, however, that by taking two classes, Williams helped boost Auburn's standing in the academic rankings. Williams is six credits short of graduation.

The Auburn administration has promised a thorough inquiry.

"I'm not worried," Williams said. "I'm looking forward to the outcome because it's totally not true."

Still, the allegations have raised suspicions. Eighteen members of the 2004 team are alleged to have earned 97 credits through one-on-one classes with Petee. It's an extraordinarily high number for one professor, according to other faculty members quoted in the article.

Hoopster ends attempt: Former George Mason University basketball forward Jai Lewis, who had signed a free-agent contract with the Giants earlier this spring, has decided to end his pursuit of an NFL career.

Agent Jeff Jankovich told the Washington Post that his client had decided not to report to Giants training camp later this month. Lewis had signed a one-year contract with a base salary of $275,000, and a $5,000 bonus.

A week before the draft, Lewis auditioned for scouts as a tight end, offensive tackle and defensive end.

The Giants projected the 6-foot-5, 292-pound Lewis as an offensive tackle, and he practiced there and as a long-snapper during spring workouts. Having not played football since his senior season at Aberdeen (Md.) High, Lewis was considered a long shot.

Lewis is believed to be exploring his basketball options.

[Bottomfeeder 244]

What a Petee Weenie. He reminds me of this limp-wristed flamer we had in HS economics. We took some doe scent and put it under his desk right before class started, he's like "what is that smell?" Obviously he had never smelled anything like that before, nor would he ever.