Police investigating gambling allegations at FSU

By

Posted 7:11AM on Thursday, December 19, 2002

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA - Allegations of gambling involving Florida State football players and others associated with the school's athletics department are being investigated by local and state police agencies, officials said Wednesday. FSU police chief Carey Drayton said authorities are looking into allegations made against football players, student trainers and managers in the university's athletics department, along with other students on campus, the Tallahassee Democrat reported for Thursday editions. ``I already have people ready to 'fess up to us,'' said Drayton, who would not identify which people are ready to confess gambling involvement, other than to say that they are not members of the school's 16th-ranked football team. FSU coach Bobby Bowden said no law enforcement official has talked to him about allegations involving specific football players. ``I don't know of any involvement of any athlete,'' Bowden said. ``I would be shocked if any of my players are involved in that. But you never know. You're just nearly scared to say. I haven't heard rumors or talk among our kids that anybody is involved in something like that.'' Some gambling allegations were made last month, after quarterback Adrian McPherson was dismissed from the team because of his involvement in the theft of a $3,500 check from a Tallahassee business. McPherson was charged with misdemeanor theft for stealing the blank check. Florida State athletic director David Hart said last month he questioned McPherson about rumors of gambling or point shaving. ``I asked questions that needed to be asked,'' Hart said. ``There were no accusations, simply questions.'' McPherson's lawyer, Grady Irvin of St. Petersburg, has denied that the 19-year-old placed any bets. Florida State sports information director Rob Wilson said after McPherson's arrest that the police investigation did not involve gambling or point shaving. Drayton, whose department is working with Tallahassee police and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, said police are working on two investigations, which he said may be related to one another. One of the investigations, Drayton said, was in connection to an unidentified informant alerting authorities that he was being shaken down over gambling debts. The other investigation is examining the persistent allegations that McPherson was involved in gambling, Drayton said. No arrests are imminent, Drayton said. ``This is going to be an involved and lengthy process,'' he said. Florida State plays No. 4 Georgia in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1.