UT discovers football players get special deal for furniture

Posted 7:00PM on Tuesday 28th June 2005 ( 19 years ago )

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) Two Tennessee football players who entered a contract to buy furniture to replace items destroyed in an apartment fire violated NCAA rules, documents show. Defensive tackle Jesse Mahelona and offensive lineman Arron Sears have been declared ineligible for competition until they pay $95.84 each for the value of having the furniture for one month and speak to the team about breaking NCAA rules, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press on Tuesday. It is unlikely they will actually miss playing time. They will not be able to address the team until August practice begins, but their status does not prevent them from participating in voluntary workouts this summer, said UT's associate athletic director for compliance, Brad Bertani. The players shared the apartment with walk-on Brett Weyman, who also was involved in the purchase. Their names were blacked out on the UT documents for privacy reasons, but it has already been reported their apartment burned on March 13, the date mentioned in the documents. Mahelona and Sears were key starters last year. UT officials filed a report dated May 19 with the Southeastern Conference detailing the violations of the NCAA byline prohibiting extra benefits to student-athletes. SEC officials have said they will accept the penalties imposed by UT. Bertani said he expected to receive a letter from the SEC confirming that this week. The situation began when former Tennessee quarterback Jerry Colquitt found out about the fire and talked to a friend, Johnny Presley, who owns Hale's Furniture Store in Crossville. Presley agreed to charge the players full-price and to allow them to pay off the cost by working at the store. The players agreed to pay $5,483 for a couch, loveseat, dining room table and chairs, mattresses and dressers in April. They did not pay any money down and had one year to pay off the furniture. They were credited $80 for working at the store two days. The university did not find out about the furniture deal until a month later. The players returned the furniture, and UT officials determined they owed a total of $287.52 for having the furniture for one month based on rental rates. The amount was split three ways. The three players also must complete 20 hours of community service. Presley and Colquitt were to receive warning letters. The players did not think they were breaking NCAA rules because they were not given any discounts. But UT officials found ``a special arrangement was created based upon the student-athletes' notoriety and the arrangement was not available to students in general at the University of Tennessee,'' the documents state. The violations were among at least 19 reports of secondary infractions in men's and women's sports the university has filed over the last year. None of them resulted in drastic penalties. Most notably, six football players received free food at the Wendy's on Cumberland Avenue near campus in January and February and were ordered to repay a total of $70.44 for the value of the food. The names of the players were blacked out in the documents. The university discovered in March the shift manager at Wendy's asked one of the players to bring an autographed jersey. The manager gave the player 12 cards for free combo meals. The most one player spent was $19.26. In this instance, the players knew they were violating rules, according to the report to the SEC. By NCAA rules, the players were ruled ineligible for competition even though the opener is not until Sept. 3 against UAB until they repaid the money. All of the money has been repaid, Bertani said. Some of the other violations included the rowing team practicing a day too early, a swimming brochure being too big and an assistant football coach giving a free home meal to the wife of a player. (Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

http://accesswdun.com/article/2005/6/131089