Check out this story from Ray Keller's trial

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Check out this story from Ray Keller's trial in Scottsboro. Ray Keller's trial is really going great for the Bammers. First, NCAA lawyers claim Keller was paying Bammer players as far back as the 1980's. Now, Travis Carrol admits he received money from Bammer boosters. Travis Caroll also claims Fernando Bryant was paid to play at Bammer, and Fernando Bryant steered other players on the Bammer football team to boosters so those players could get paid.

Carroll testifies Keller paid him

Wednesday, November 07, 2007

By ALAN CLEMONS

Times Sports Staff alan.clemons@htimes.com

Ex-Tide linebacker says he received four payments

SCOTTSBORO - Video testimony from NCAA investigator Richard Johanningmeier included taped interviews with Tom Culpepper, Vicki Smith Dagnan and former Alabama linebacker Travis Carroll, all of whom provided details about disassociated Alabama booster Ray Keller of Stevenson.

Keller, a timber businessman from Stevenson, is suing the NCAA for defamation and invasion of privacy. That stems from the NCAA's investigation into the late 1990s recruitment of Albert Means of Memphis and Kenny Smith Jr., formerly of Stevenson. Keller is one of three boosters later disassociated by Alabama and the NCAA. Logan Young of Memphis, who died in 2006, and Wendell Smith of Chattanooga, are the others.

The trial in Jackson County Circuit Court is in its 12th day. More video testimony from former NCAA enforcement director Mark Jones and live testimony from former NCAA enforcement chief David Swank is expected today and Thursday.

Carroll saw significant playing time at linebacker in 1997, his freshman season, but was hampered by injuries and other issues. He transferred to the University of Florida. During an interview with Johanningmeier, he told about older Alabama players - primarily Fernando Bryant, who previously has been linked with Keller - who steered underclassmen to friendly boosters.

"I was always the tag-along," Carroll said, mentioning going to boosters' homes for meals. "Fernando was in touch with all of them. He pretty much knew everything that went on, with coaches or whatever. I know he was taken care of."

Carroll said Young was the "big cheese" in Memphis and that Keller gave him $400 in four separate incidents. Three were at Keller's daughter's apartment and one was at the Sheraton Four Points hotel, the team hotel at home games in Tuscaloosa where Keller and his family stayed. Keller has denied giving any money to Carroll or other players.

Culpepper, a former recruiting analyst from Chelsea, was the so-called "secret witness" who provided information to Alabama officials and Johanningmeier. Keller's attorneys are hammering on the NCAA's rule that anonymous or secret testimony cannot be used. The NCAA maintains that Culpepper was identified to Alabama officials during the investigation and no special exemptions were made.

During Johanningmeier's testimony, Culpepper indicated Keller introduced Young to Smith and also was helping players at Alabama.

"I don't think he was interested in helping a tuba player in the band," Culpepper said.

Culpepper said he knew nothing about Keller being involved with providing a car to players, with that "more from the rumor mill and nothing I had direct knowledge of." Johanningmeier said there was not enough specific evidence to link Keller with $20,000 given by Wendell Smith to Kenny Smith Jr.'s father.

But Smith's mother, Vicki Dagnan, said she secretly taped a conversation between her former husband, her son, Keller and Wendell Smith. The meeting supposedly happened after her son failed to qualify academically at Alabama and was being re-recruited.

Johanningmeier said higher-ranking NCAA officials decided to send the tape to a forensics lab to remove static and background noise. A transcript was shown to the jurors, with Wendell Smith allegedly telling Kenny Smith Jr., "You gonna be cared for" and offering about $15,000 a year if he re-signed with Alabama. Smith never played at Alabama or Tennessee, where he signed after qualifying.

Johanningmeier testified he believed Dagnan and her ex-husband to be credible enough because their accounts of dealings with Keller and Smith were consistent. Dagnan said her ex-husband primarily dealt with Keller and Wendell Smith, who she said was "not anybody I feel like you could trust. He talks two or three different ways to make people happy."

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But Smith's mother, Vicki Dagnan, said she secretly taped a conversation between her former husband, her son, Keller and Wendell Smith. The meeting supposedly happened after her son failed to qualify academically at Alabama and was being re-recruited.

Johanningmeier said higher-ranking NCAA officials decided to send the tape to a forensics lab to remove static and background noise. A transcript was shown to the jurors, with Wendell Smith allegedly telling Kenny Smith Jr., "You gonna be cared for" and offering about $15,000 a year if he re-signed with Alabama . Smith never played at Alabama or Tennessee, where he signed after qualifying.

Johanningmeier testified he believed Dagnan and her ex-husband to be credible enough because their accounts of dealings with Keller and Smith were consistent. Dagnan said her ex-husband primarily dealt with Keller and Wendell Smith, who she said was "not anybody I feel like you could trust. He talks two or three different ways to make people happy."

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But Smith's mother, Vicki Dagnan, said she secretly taped a conversation between her former husband, her son, Keller and Wendell Smith. The meeting supposedly happened after her son failed to qualify academically at Alabama and was being re-recruited.

Johanningmeier said higher-ranking NCAA officials decided to send the tape to a forensics lab to remove static and background noise. A transcript was shown to the jurors, with Wendell Smith allegedly telling Kenny Smith Jr., "You gonna be cared for" and offering about $15,000 a year if he re-signed with Alabama . Smith never played at Alabama or Tennessee, where he signed after qualifying.

Johanningmeier testified he believed Dagnan and her ex-husband to be credible enough because their accounts of dealings with Keller and Smith were consistent. Dagnan said her ex-husband primarily dealt with Keller and Wendell Smith, who she said was "not anybody I feel like you could trust. He talks two or three different ways to make people happy."

Maybe this is what Saban meant by bringing Bama back.