| FTBL Clever Clemson

shipley00

Member
This may be old news, but it wasn't to me. I'm sure most remember the Clemson player who was raising his younger brother. He got a special dispensation from the NCAA to have a fundraiser. Well, apparently Clemson no needs his scholly to fit as many of their top recruiting class in so...

I don't have much of a problem with Clemson getting out from underneath Ray Ray McElrathbey's scholarship. I do have a problem with the way they announced it.

The school has done everything possible to avoid saying they are trying to free up a scholarship by offering the backup tailback a graduate assistant's job. It's obvious that McElrathbey is not longer needed now that Clemson has one of the deepest tailback stables in the country. McElrathbey is not going to get on the field. His brother Fahmarr has $100,000 in a trust fund that the NCAA graciously allowed to be formed when their parents' negligence forced Ray Ray to take in his brother.

McElrathbey's situation is not so much a gesture of largesse on the part of Clemson, but as a way to make the school and athletic department look good. And it hides a little-known way of doing business.

For example, it is up to the school's discretion whether a scholarship player transitioning to grad assistant is able to eat at the training table. Kids sign an athletic scholarship expecting all the accompanying perks. McElrathbey seemingly will be well taken care ofl. He would receive a stipend for his meals if he chooses to become a GA, the school said. AD Terry Don Phillips has said McElrathbey will receive financial aid if he becomes a grad assistant..

Clemson isn't being as heartless as it might seem. It will help Ray Ray find another school if he chooses to transfer in order to play out his final two years of eligibility. This is a lot more than they could have done for a kid who has been in academic hot water in the past.

Somewhere in there, though, I'd like to see the school admit it needed the scholarship rather than covering itself with glory.
 
laurajmoss said:
It's lipstick on a pig, in my opinion--still disgusting no matter how they try to dress it up. If it were Alabama making the decision, I'd be ashamed.

Why?
He is not going to play. They will still pay for his education, and free up a scholly for someone else. What is wrong with that?
 
Exactly right. The NCAA did away with the automatic 4 year schollie a good many years back. Now they are all one year scholarships, renewable at the discretion of the school. Clemson could have just plain dumped him and not violated any rules, just human decency. They chose instead to continue to pay his way, laid out a possible career path in coaching for him, and lest we forget they had already helped to raise $100k for his brother.
 
I have serious doubt they would be doing this if he hadn't received such positive pub from taking care of his brother. If it that weren't the case, would we even be hearing about this. He's not skipping practice because he doesn't want to play football, he's skipping practice because they aren't going to honor their scholarship. From what I heard before signing day, he was on schedule to be cleared to play.
 
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