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3 SMU football players win appeals after losing scholarships

11:04 PM CDT on Friday, March 27, 2009
By BOBBI ROQUEMORE / The Dallas Morning News
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Three of the five football players who appealed decisions by SMU to release them from their scholarships have won, according to an athletics department source.

Sophomore defensive end Jordan Johnson (Carrollton Creekview), sophomore linebacker Taylor Bon and sophomore defensive end Anthony Sowe (Denton) will have their athletics aid continued for 2009-10.

Freshman running back Ben Goldthorpe (Denton Ryan) and junior linebacker Alex Odiari (Hebron) did not win their appeals.

The players were among nine Mustangs released from the team Feb. 10. SMU coach June Jones said in a statement Feb. 11 that the players were released because of a violation of team rules and/or athletic department policy.

Johnson and Sowe politely declined comment; Bon, Goldthorpe and Odiari could not be reached.

The players appeared before before a university administrative panel consisting of faculty and staff.

good for players

Wouldn't say they "beat it", they're still off the team.

Fear the wrath of June!

ALEX LIFESON wrote:Wouldn't say they "beat it", they're still off the team.

Fear the wrath of June!

Do their schlorships count against the team totals.

Yes.

If I were Jones I'd reinstate them on the team and let them feel what running sprints for four hours feels like. "Come on the pain can end, just ring the bell".

How dare the faculty allow this. We are paying the man $2mil/year to come in here and do what needs to be done. Are we trying to win or not? We've now handicapped this man with three albatrosses around his neck for 3 more years.

That is three scholarships that we can't give to worthy players now!

I consider us lucky if Jones don't quit on principle.

I should quit my job and go back to school. I'm not talented enough to play on the team, just like these three, I should get a full ride for nothing too!

couch 'em wrote:How dare the faculty allow this. We are paying the man $2mil/year to come in here and do what needs to be done. Are we trying to win or not? We've now handicapped this man with three albatrosses around his neck for 3 more years.

That is three scholarships that we can't give to worthy players now!

I consider us lucky if Jones don't quit on principle.

I should quit my job and go back to school. I'm not talented enough to play on the team, just like these three, I should get a full ride for nothing too!

It's ok, we still netted 6 scholarships. I doubt these 3 will stick around assuming they love football and want to play elsewhere. June Jones commented when he released these guys that any of these kids could appeal and that if they won, they could stay at SMU. they just wouldn't be the team so it's not a surprise to huim. If they stay around, then they get an education and we rolled the dice and freed up 6 scholarships...this will happen less as we have fewer and fewer Bennett scholarships, though if you're a malcontent or just have no talent, you'll get shipped out too. hopefully there will be way fewer of those in the future

its called due process-look into it.

will have their athletics aid continued for 2009-10.

Appears to be just for one year.

Stallion wrote:its called due process-look into it.

And where exactly is that due process obligation for private institutions in the constitution?

So they pretty much get a free year to figure out how to pay for the rest of cellege?

Dooby wrote:

Stallion wrote:its called due process-look into it.

And where exactly is that due process obligation for private institutions in the constitution?

Not constitutional due process. Apparently SMU has instituted its own procedural due process system. It's called an appeal, and they won. Good for them.

Maybe they can contribute and do something and learned something valuable from this experience. BTW, I thought there nine, not eight.

HB Pony Dad wrote:

will have their athletics aid continued for 2009-10.

Appears to be just for one year.

Aren't scholarships just for one year anyways........won't the players just appeal when they are taken away after May of 2010? Once again, the faculty sticks it to the athletic department.