FREE PRESS INVESTIGATION
Michigan football program broke rules, players say
Rodriguez denies exceeding NCAA time guidelines
By MICHAEL ROSENBERG AND MARK SNYDER
FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITERS
The University of Michigan football team consistently has violated NCAA rules governing off-season workouts, in-season demands on players and mandatory summer activities under coach Rich Rodriguez, numerous players told the Free Press.
Players on the 2008 and 2009 teams described training and practice sessions that far exceeded limits set by the NCAA, which governs college athletics. The restrictions are designed to protect players’ well-being, ensure adequate study time and prevent schools from gaining an unfair competitive advantage.
The players, who did not want to be identified because they feared repercussions from coaches, said the violations occurred routinely at the direction of Rodriguez’s staff.
“It’s one of those things where you can’t say something,” one current Wolverine said. “If you say something, they’re going to say you’re a lazy person and don’t want to work hard.”
That player was one of six current or former players who gave lengthy, detailed and nearly identical descriptions of the program to the Free Press.
“We know the practice and off-season rules, and we stay within the guidelines,” Rodriguez said in a statement issued Friday to the Free Press. “We follow the rules and have always been completely committed to being compliant with all NCAA rules.”
If the NCAA investigates and concludes that U-M willfully and repeatedly broke the rules, the NCAA could find major violations. That could trigger probation, loss of scholarships and loss of practice time.
Michigan, which has won more games than any program in college football history, has never been found guilty of major violations in football.
The players say they routinely are required to work out or practice many more hours throughout the year than the NCAA allows. They also say members of Rodriguez’s staff have broken rules by monitoring off-season scrimmages.
Boo fucking hoo, what a joke.
These players should be named and beaten. I am sure they would rather be in class studying right?
We are in big trouble this year with a team that is clearly filled with pussies
They are lucky that they arn't in Texas back in the 60's and 70's playing bull in the ring. We had many players permanantly out for the season. They finally outlawed it in 1976.
All you had to do was have a bad game, and then you were the bull that week. If anyone is unfamiliar with this, if you have 54 players, then 1 (the bull) is in the middle of 53 other players circling him. Each player is numbered from 1 to 53. The coach then has you breakdown and calls out numbers. the guy in the middle has to turn and find the guy coming toward him, or he would get wiped out. If the coach was really pissed, he would call numbers quickly and in opposite order so that you could not recover from the first hit. Ex. 2, 40, 26, 52, 5, and so on. There were actually guys on the ground, and the coach would be hollaring numbers to spear the guy on the ground.
These Michigan players are pre-madonnas. No wonder they get beat by Appalachan State. You know Eastern Michigan will show no fear going into Michigan.
Real disappointed to see this man, I can't believe any football player would make complaints like this. Definitely makes me thing they don't have what it takes to be winners.
Maybe Rodriguez can get these two to walk on this year. ;D