SI Releases Part Two Of Their OSU Investigation Dealing With Academic Improprieties

Part two of the Sports Illustrated series on Oklahoma State University's football hit the internet Tuesday morning. In it, more than a dozen former football players discussed bending and breaking academic rules. They said it happened so players could stay eligible for games.

Wednesday, September 11th 2013, 5:54 pm

By: News 9

SI Releases Part Two Of Their OSU Investigation Dealing With Academic Improprieties

"I was completely shocked at what I read in Sports Illustrated this morning," said Dr. Marilyn Middlebrooke, Associate Athletic Director and Academics at OSU. "It is not what we do."

The article says former players allege getting credit even when "they had work done for them and/or that they received other improper academic assistance."

Fath' Carter was one of them and he stuck to his story with News 9.

"We just didn't ask questions," said Carter. "It was known those professors would give you preferential treatment."

Carter even told News 9 he experienced that preferential treatment firsthand.

"I definitely received a couple of grades that weren't merited. And that was the norm too. You know, especially if you were at the top tier or you had considerable playing time."

Another player cited in the article, former defensive back Ricky Coxeff, said at least one player on his team was functionally illiterate. He recalled a story where a player could not even spell the word "house."

Also in the article, former player Artrell Woods said he "just typed what tutors dictated to him."

According to Sport Illustrated, Carter also said that assistant professor Ronald Keys wrote papers for players. Other players cited in the article said Terry Henley, now the primary counselor for the OSU football team, was aware that rules were being broken. Henley denied those allegations in the article.

Former professors and players also took on the claims published by in Sports Illustrated.

Dr. John H. Curry, who said he taught many football players at OSU between 2005 and 2011. He said, "I was never pressured to pass them. I never heard of another faculty member being pressured to pass an athlete. In fact, it was the exact opposite."

Former cornerback Andrew McGee also told News 9, "They held us accountable for dates and upcoming exams. And if we didn't do what we were supposed to do, we were punished."

Middlebrooke said the allegations were more than shocking because she and her staff have dedicated their lives to integrity.

"The building in which the students, the student-athletes study is very open, it has lots of glass. It has a full-time staff member in every room. They are constantly watched. They are individually supervised. I don't think we could set up a better unit than what we have to watch for anything that could go wrong," she said.

Neither Terry Henley nor Ronald Keys commented to News 9 on the story as of Tuesday evening. However, in the article Henley is quoted as saying, "What I do with degrees and scheduling, I base it on aptitude, attitude. Now a guy may have wanted to be a business major, but he can't get through a math class. That's a big reason why we don't initially declare a major for a player."