Fairley to be declared ineligible

[Tiger in Spain 0]

Word on Rivals is that 7 grades were changed on Fairleys transcripts, but it all happened prior to us signing him. So everyone that offered him (see bold in article below) got the same transcripts we did.

Was the person who changed those grades the one that tipped off the MPR?

Fairley Good Pick Up For Tigers

Nick Fairley By Staff Reports

Inside The Auburn Tigers

Posted Feb 7, 2007

Auburn signed one of Alabama's top players Wednesday morning at Williamson High School.

Mobile, Ala.--Wednesday morning proved to be big for the Auburn Tigers as they signed one of the top big athletes in the South when Nick Fairley signed on the dotted line at a ceremony at Williamson High School. A 6-4, 255 tight end and defensive end, Fairley could play on either side of the ball for the Tigers but is expected to get his first look on defense.

One of the most impressive players at a Scout.com Combine in Tuscaloosa last summer, Fairley showed that he would be a player to watch in 2006. Measuring in at 6-3 ½, 256, Fairley ran a 4.81 second 40-yard dash on a slow track and also recorded a vertical leap of 30 and a half inches and a standing broad jump of eight feet, 10 inches.

To give you an idea of how his numbers stack up Alabama commitment and four-star linebacker Rolando McClain measured in at 6-3 ½, 234 at the same combine and ran a 4.75 40-yard dash. His shuttle time of 4.6 seconds was slower than the 4.5 turned in by Fairley and his vertical leap was recorded a 31.2, just eight-tenths of an inch more than Fairley. Those statistics alone would make him an interesting prospect but Fairley also can deliver on the field of play.

Playing both offense and defense for the Lions, Fairley had a strong senior season. As a tight end Fairley was used mostly as a blocker but managed to catch five passes for 150 yards and one touchdown. Playing defensive end he also added 90 tackles.

Once teams saw him play there was a line of suitors coming through the school that produced current Auburn defensive end Antonio Coleman and former LSU quarterback Jamarcus Russell. Auburn, Alabama, LSU, West Virginia, Florida State and Southern Miss all pursued Fairley before he narrowed his choices down to the Tigers, Tide and Golden Eagles.

A very similar prospect to former Auburn standout and current Dallas Cowboy Jay Ratliff, Fairley also excels at basketball on the high school level much like Ratliff. A key component for the state’s top-ranked Class 5A team, Fairley averages just over 17 points and 10 rebounds per contest.

Link to article

[BAMMERPERRY 0]

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[SKCAUB 0]

I read that he can still become eligible if he raises his ACT score this Saturday. Sorry, no link.

[Ranger12 46]

I read that he can still become eligible if he raises his ACT score this Saturday. Sorry, no link.

That is if he takes it Saturday. The article you read was probably from al.com. It also mentions the fact that none of the grades that were changed were failing grades and was always academically eligible in high school. Here is the link to the al.com article which has some other interesting notes about the whole thing, such as the comment about how the grades changed were grades from throughout his four years of high school. That particular comment has to make you wonder if he had grades changed as a freshman and sophomore also.

link

[DKW 86 7,429]

http://www.al.com/hsfootball/mobileregiste...&thispage=1

So he may be ineligible, but if he rescores his ACT, he could still make it. At least we are getting the fuller picture here. Problem: When this came out is kind of suspicious. The fact that they were changed in June of 2006 is just plain weird. The idea that they dont know who changed them is a little unbelievable. Every change in a file should be recorded somewhere.

On the other hand, some grades were obviously honors courses and there wasnt a home ec to be found anywhere....

At the time of thegrade changes, Fairley had offers from Auburn, Alabama, LSU, West Virginia, Florida State and Southern Miss. It is suspicious that only now are the changes coming to light.

Seven grades changed in error, principal says

Response to NCAA Clearinghouse addresses questions raised about transcript of former Williamson star Nick Fairley

Wednesday, June 06, 2007

By RENA HAVNER

Staff Reporter

Seven transcript grades of a Williamson High football standout were changed in error, according to a letter by principal Terrance Mixon, who said that officials now "pretty much know he's ineligible."

Mixon declined to name the student. But officials close to the situation have said the student has accepted a scholarship to play football at Auburn University this fall. Only one Williamson graduate, lineman Nick Fairley, is an Auburn signee.

Mobile County Public Schools Superintendent Harold Dodge has said the school system is investigating the Williamson grade changing as well as another issue dealing with grade changing at B.C. Rain High School.

Officials close to the situation have said the B.C. Rain student is also an Auburn football signee. Defensive back Ryan Williams is the only 2007 B.C. Rain graduate who has signed to play at Auburn.

School officials have not provided an update on the B.C. Rain investigation this week. Rain coach Anthony Shamburger said Monday that Williams' transcripts have just recently been sent to the NCAA Clearinghouse.

Dodge, who has declined to name the students in question, said Tuesday that both investigations are ongoing. Officials are still trying to figure out how the grades were changed, by whom and why.

Fairley said he'd been told he could improve his grades through extra-credit work. Reached early Tuesday afternoon, he said he was meeting with Williamson officials later that evening to hear about the school's response to the NCAA Clearinghouse.

Grades in four classes -- two English classes, geometry and botany -- were changed "in error" without the knowledge of the teachers, according to a June 1 letter Mixon wrote to the Clearinghouse.

The Clearinghouse uses a complicated formula of classroom grades and ACT college entrance exam scores to determine whether athletes are eligible to play on the Division I level.

According to Mixon's letter, two more of the student's grades -- physical science and biology -- were changed as a result of a "reporting error." The teachers approved grade changes in those two cases, but those changes were not put into the school's computer correctly, Mixon said.

Another grade, in U.S. history, was changed after the student earned extra credit. But even after the student did the extra-credit work, the final grade was listed incorrectly on the transcript, according to the letter.

Mixon is disputing allegations of the changing of an eighth grade on the student's transcript, an honors history class.

It is not clear when the changes were made, Mixon said. But the affected grades involve classes the student would have taken throughout his four years of high school.

The biggest grade increase was seven points, he said. None of the grades were failing grades.

According to the Clearinghouse's eligibility formula, the lower a student's classroom grades, the higher the ACT score must be.

Mixon said that with the corrected grades, the student would have to retake the ACT and score higher to be able to play college football.

The ACT will be administered Saturday and then not again until October, according to ACT's Web site.

"I can't just look at his transcript and say this is his GPA (grade-point average) and he's ineligible," Mixon said. "But based on just his raw GPA and his raw ACT score, it doesn't look like he's eligible to me. That's my novice opinion."

Auburn football signees have already begun to arrive on campus and several more, including Williams, are planning to be there by Sunday for an orientation. There has been no indication that Auburn is being investigated or that the university had any part in the grade changes.

Mixon said that regardless of the discrepancies, the Williamson student did have enough credits to graduate from high school and was always eligible to play high school sports. In addition to being a football standout, Fairley led Williamson to the 5A state basketball championship last season.

Mixon said the grades of two other seniors who were not athletes were also somehow changed. School officials are looking into that as well, he said.

Until recently, several Williamson officials had access to the computer program used to enter and change student transcripts. Mixon said the school is now limiting such access to the school's registrar.

Mixon said he was first made aware of the grade discrepancies when the NCAA Clearinghouse sent him a letter on May 11 asking questions. The Clearinghouse gave Mixon a Monday deadline to answer those questions, which he met.

Although the school system has been investigating the matter for several weeks, Mixon said he still doesn't know who changed the grades.

"If our computers were up and left unattended at any point for any reason, anybody could've gotten to them," Mixon said.

[BamaGrad03 0]

So is this another thing you guys are blaming us for?

[Guest Frank Burns]

So is this another thing you guys are blaming us for?

Stop flattering yourself with these ridiculous leaps from what David wrote to what you surmised.

You're smarter than that.

[saniflush 0]

So is this another thing you guys are blaming us for?

Guilty conscience?

[Tiger in Spain 0]

I don't recall fingers being pointed at anyone. You have to admit, something is screwy with the story.

[Ranger12 46]

So is this another thing you guys are blaming us for?

Stop flattering yourself with these ridiculous leaps from what David wrote to what you surmised.

You're smarter than that.

Link? Proof?

[BamaGrad03 0]

So is this another thing you guys are blaming us for?

Stop flattering yourself with these ridiculous leaps from what David wrote to what you surmised.

You're smarter than that.

Man David blames Alabama if his toast gets burned in the morning.

[SupperClub 0]

That's because his waitress at the Waffle House is a UAT grad.

[saniflush 0]

That's because his waitress at the Waffle House is a UAT grad.

ZING!

[Tiger in Spain 0]

That's because his waitress at the Waffle House is a UAT grad.

That is some scattered, smothered, and chunked smack right there! +10 for you.

[DKW 86 7,429]

So is this another thing you guys are blaming us for?

Stop flattering yourself with these ridiculous leaps from what David wrote to what you surmised.

You're smarter than that.

Man David blames Alabama if his toast gets burned in the morning.

The only thing I wrote concerning UAT was the dig about Home Ec. Geez bg, get a life.

[TigerOne 1,148]

That's because his waitress at the Waffle House is a UAT grad.

uat fan, she most likely never made it to campus

[SupperClub 0]

Nah, she is one of the 10% of UAT Home Ec majors that aren't in athletics.

[Tiger in Spain 0]

Someone brought their game today!

[80Tiger 899]

There are one of two problems in my opinion.

1. For there to be 7 different grade changes on this one persons transcipts and that be the only problem in the Mobile County school system is almost statistically impossible. There almost has to be mass grade changing in the system; errors, extra credit, etc. Not malicious but changes that needed to be made. If that is the case, then the problem is selective investigation of this student (s).

or:

2. This student had his grades purposely changed by someone to help with his transcripts over the years. The investigation should eventually then be heading/focusing on who changed these withing the school system and why.

[BamaGrad03 0]

That's because his waitress at the Waffle House is a UAT grad.

That was a good one. 2 points!

[DKW 86 7,429]

There are one of two problems in my opinion.

1. For there to be 7 different grade changes on this one persons transcipts and that be the only problem in the Mobile County school system is almost statistically impossible. There almost has to be mass grade changing in the system; errors, extra credit, etc. Not malicious but changes that needed to be made. If that is the case, then the problem is selective investigation of this student (s).

or:

2. This student had his grades purposely changed by someone to help with his transcripts over the years. The investigation should eventually then be heading/focusing on who changed these withing the school system and why.

Could it have been his coach or someone on the staff trying to keep colleges interested in him? But that makes calling the MPR just that more stoopid. We really need to know who did this and why. I seriously doubt that the changes were only for these two.

[runswithscissors 33]

what i'm hearing is his GPA wasn't going to be high enough on the sliding scale to complement his ACT score. someone might have realized that a while back and might have decided to help him. it sort of makes sense, otherwise i don't know why someone would change an already passing grade. they need to figure out what teacher did it and can them on the spot. certainly they log whoever logs into the workstation and grade program.

[Weagle74 0]

7 grades are questioned. It doesn't sound good...

My Webpage

*merged*

You were late to the party.

[DKW 86 7,429]

what i'm hearing is his GPA wasn't going to be high enough on the sliding scale to complement his ACT score. someone might have realized that a while back and might have decided to help him. it sort of makes sense, otherwise i don't know why someone would change an already passing grade. they need to figure out what teacher did it and can them on the spot. certainly they log whoever logs into the workstation and grade program.

rws, I think the story from Mixon is that the computer was left unattended while logged on. Therefore, anyone walking by could have sat down and changed the grades. I call that CYA myself. Whomever had that terminal and was logged on at the time gets canned, end of story.

[runswithscissors 33]

what i'm hearing is his GPA wasn't going to be high enough on the sliding scale to complement his ACT score. someone might have realized that a while back and might have decided to help him. it sort of makes sense, otherwise i don't know why someone would change an already passing grade. they need to figure out what teacher did it and can them on the spot. certainly they log whoever logs into the workstation and grade program.

rws, I think the story from Mixon is that the computer was left unattended while logged on. Therefore, anyone walking by could have sat down and changed the grades. I call that CYA myself. Whomever had that terminal and was logged on at the time gets canned, end of story.

absolutely. it is their responsibility to secure their workstation. however, if there were multiple grade changes over a certain period of time, thats a whole different story.