Wednesday, March 26, 1986/The Battalion/Page 9
t Sports
>1 ' ' '
Allegations still hover over A&M
ctaria
at In-house investigation into recruiting moves into 7th month
By DOUG HALL
Sports Writer
If anything cast a dark shadow on
exas A&M’s 1985-86 football sea
son, a season which included its first
outhwest Conference
John championship since 1968 and a Cot-
voted ton Bowl victory over Auburn, it was
Hhe alleged recruiting violations
ttional charged against A&M by two Dallas
ave rt media outlets.
* In September, WFAA-TV of Dal
las accused Kevin Murray, the Ag
gies’ starting quarterback, of accept-
ilingii ing cash payments and the use of a
1 have Sf^ car - Then, in December, the
irds o( BJal/as Times Herald accused A&M
^>f illegal activities, including cash
payments and special car deals that
Bated back to the years of former
BVggie coach Tom Wilson.
I A&M Athletic Director Jackie
Sherrill, Wilson’s successor as head
I'ootball coach, said at the time of the
3 mort
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appr&
'atifia
rs.
p\VFAA accusations (Sept. 17-19) that
W the Athletic Department was turning
e montt
gnedhi
itial pal
te to Ht
electiot
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the pro
Hhe matter over to other University
umaiioc, Officials. I hose of ficials were the
|\&M Athletic Council, which then
launched an in-house investigation
into the Aggie football program.
1 Now, after six months, Dr.
■Thomas Adair, chairman of the
:es ob ; A&M Athletic Council, said the com-
nowha mittee is still continuing its investiga-
d undo|Bjons, but declined to say when its
findings would be revealed,
j “We have initiated an investiga-
mayonHion into all intercollegiate programs
lit A&M because we were asked to do
So by the president (of the Universi
ty),” Adair said.
c When asked if his committee’s in
vestigation encompasses the charges
made against Murray and those re
ported by the Times Herald, Adair
said the investigation is a result of
the press coverage A&M received
about the incidents and includes “all
gnatters concerning recruiting at
nstitutiot, |jl'exas A&M.”
jccessior Ted Hajovsky Jr., who serves as
ador H A&M’s general counsel, is also in
event oif* |mlved with the in-house investiga-
capacit* tion.
ice presi Hajovsky said Tuesday that the
d did no! in-house committee has hired pri-
laming ‘ | vate attorneys to help interview play-
id-taint« ers, former players, coaches, former
i thatkojltoaches and anyone in connection
with the A&M Athletic Department.
Hajovsky added that after certain
phases of the investigation are com
pleted, the various parties will con
fer and clear up any inconsistencies
in their reports.
Although Hajovsky failed to indi
cate when results from the investiga
tion would be made public, he did
! say that the NCAA currently is not
involved with the case.
I Southwest Conference Commis-
ftioner Fred Jacoby also said his of-
; fice is not currently involved with
any investigation into the A&M Ath
letic Department and that the SWC’s
only role in this type of matter is to
Ract as a “go-between” with the
I NCAA and the school in question.
When asked if he knew when
Photo by JOHN MAKELY
A&M quarterback Kevin Murray (14) became the accused Murray on camera of accepting cash pay-
center of controversy when WFAA-TV of Dallas ments and use of a car from an A&M alumnus.
those results would be turned over
to the NCAA, Jacoby said he was not
aware of a deadline or time limit on
the investigation.
David Berst, director of enforce
ment for the NCAA, said he was
prohibited from making public
statements on the subject and that he
could only issue statements through
a university’s president and athletic
director.
However, Berst did say that the
NCAA has the authority to conduct
its own investigation or to allow the
particular university to handle it in
ternally.
Berst said if the NCAA chooses to
conduct its own investigation, it will
file a preliminary letter of inquiry
with the University.
Following the Dec. 8-10 Times
Herald reports, which were released
10 days after A&M clinched the
Southwest Conference
championship with a 42-10 Thanks
giving Day victory over Texas, A&M
President Frank E. Vandiver said
some of the newspapet’s allegations
had already been investigated by the
NCAA and the Southwest Confer
ence.
Since that second week in Decem
ber, when Vandiver’s statement ac
companied those by Sherrill which
refuted the Times Herald allega
tions saying many of the players they
interviewed had “axes to grind”
against A&M, the Athletic Depart
ment has issued no further
statements concerning the investiga
tion.
Ex-players level more charges against Texas
*
DALLAS (AP) — University of
ITexas boosters and sports agents
have given Longhorn football play
ers cash, liquor, meals, free dental
and legal services, and discounts at
apartments and bars — all violations
of the NCAA extra-benefit rules.
The Dallas Morning News reported
in its Wednesday editions.
Former players said boosters and
agents, whom they usually met
through coaches, routinely ap
proached players with offers of cash
and favors from the day they first
walked onto the practice field, the
News said in its copyright story.
In interviews with 28 former
Texas players, whose careers span
ned a period from 1978 to 1985, 11
said they accepted cash payments —
in some cases amounting to more
than $10,000 — while they were
playing football at Texas.
“My senior year it just got hotter
and hotter,” said Tony Degrate, a
standout defensive tackle from 1982
to 1984 and winner of the 1984
Vince Lombardi Award.
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“From alumni walking up to me in
the locket room, to my room, shak
ing my hand and giving me a bill
(money),” Degrate said. “Then at the
end of the year, they’d call me —
guys in business suits with briefcases
— and I’d say meet me in a restau
rant. At 11 o’clock at night. In a res
taurant. Not in my room.”
Head football Coach Fred Akers
said he was not aware that his play
ers had received any benefits beyond
the tuition, room, board and books
provided by their athletic schol
arships.
“I am really, I am surprised,” Ak
ers said. “I am surprised, and I in
tend to turn this over to the NCAA.
... if I know of something that is true
— or suspect that it is — I’ll sure
turn it in.”
Jeff Leiding, an All-America line
backer who played at Texas from
1980 to 1983, said he received cash
payments from various alumni and
boosters throughout his career.
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