Jump to content

"I was definitely done with Football" -Carnell


AURainman

Recommended Posts

Williams says grades legit

Williams says grades legit

By STEPHEN F. HOLDER

Published July 16, 2006

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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.

Gundlach spurns AU probe

"I have never said this was something that was done specifically for athletes," Gundlach said. "My concern was that the athletes were something that was going to call attention to it and lead to embarrassing situations. If the athletes weren't there, nobody would care."

"Since I've been thinking about the athletic rules and other such things, it is clear that everything Petee did for athletes was also available for other students. In terms of the letter of NCAA regulations, there are probably no problems."

Feel free to add your own.

Link to comment
Share on other sites





This article is obviously much ado about nothing. Just someone with an axe to grind.

The only problem is the "black eye" recieved nationally by those that do not take the time to read the article and see it for what it is...nothing.

Remember, payback is a ($&*$&($&( ! ! ! !

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...