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Alabama A&M Sports
Reed's days with Dogs likely done
All-SWAC cornerback's suspension linked to academic impropriety
10/03/01
By REGGIE BENSON
Times Sports Staff reggieb@htimes.com
Brandon Reed, Alabama A&M's All-Southwestern Athletic Conference defensive back, isn't likely to play again this season.
Reed was suspended after the Grambling State game for what were then said to be disciplinary reasons. Sources say Reed was suspended for tampering with an academic document.
Athletic director Jim Martin said Monday that Reed apparently dropped a class without proper authorization from the Radio: Alabama A&M at Southern, Saturday, 7 p.m., WJAB-FM 90.9. Office of Academic Enhancement. Barbara Davis, who oversees the department, said she would not comment because the matter was still under investigation.
Sources say Reed used a drop/add slip to drop a management class and then altered the slip to add an economics class without authorization.
''Whoever keyed it into the system, he changed it to make them believe it was official,'' a source said. Sources say drop/add slips can be picked up virtually anywhere on campus.
Sources say Reed also received a grade for a first aid class after grades were supposed to be submitted. There was no indication he was in the class until days before the Grambling game, when he was suddenly declared academically eligible.
''All this about a grade showing up to me is a rumor,'' Martin said.
Reed, who has had a troubled past at Auburn and now at A&M, didn't return calls to The Times. The Times also tried to reach Reed through his position coach, A&M co-defensive coordinator Brawnski Towns, and was told he didn't want to comment.
Reed went before the school's Judiciary Committee two weeks ago and was informed last week that he had been placed on social probation, which prevents him from participating in extracurricular activities, including football. Sources say Reed, who has one year of eligibility remaining, appealed the ruling and told the Judiciary Committee he would accept the probation if it would allow him to play the rest of this season. The committee is to make a recommendation to Dr. Jerome Roberts, the school's vice president for student affairs.
Roberts said Tuesday afternoon that he expects to receive the recommendation in the next day or so and would take the necessary time to make a fair ruling.
But, Martin said, ''At this time, the department of athletics will not reinstate Brandon Reed unless there is clear evidence that the department of athletics has made a mistake and we are overruled in our current position of facts.''
Reed is eligible to participate under NCAA and SWAC rules, Martin said, but not under A&M standards.
''Brandon Reed has a serious offense against him based on the integrity of the department of athletics as well as the university,'' Martin said. ''Alabama A&M is stepping forward to ensure the integrity in this program.''
A&M coach Ron Cooper would love to have his star cornerback, who had 52 tackles and a team-high nine interceptions and 16 pass breakups a year ago. Cooper said he could have used him in Saturday night's 26-14 loss to Jackson State, when the Bulldogs gave up four touchdown passes.
''Would he have helped us in this game?,'' Cooper asked. ''We're not dumb. He plays the side where two of those touchdowns were thrown.''
But Cooper says he can't concern himself with the matter any longer.
''I've got to move on,'' Cooper said. ''You can only wait around so long.''
Martin said moving on was the right course of action for everyone involved.
''I think in the best interest of the university and the integrity of our program, we should drop it and move on,'' he said. ''We gave the student-athlete, his parents and everyone involved every opportunity to prove his innocence and they couldn't do it.''
Reed's days with Dogs likely done
All-SWAC cornerback's suspension linked to academic impropriety
10/03/01
By REGGIE BENSON
Times Sports Staff reggieb@htimes.com
Brandon Reed, Alabama A&M's All-Southwestern Athletic Conference defensive back, isn't likely to play again this season.
Reed was suspended after the Grambling State game for what were then said to be disciplinary reasons. Sources say Reed was suspended for tampering with an academic document.
Athletic director Jim Martin said Monday that Reed apparently dropped a class without proper authorization from the Radio: Alabama A&M at Southern, Saturday, 7 p.m., WJAB-FM 90.9. Office of Academic Enhancement. Barbara Davis, who oversees the department, said she would not comment because the matter was still under investigation.
Sources say Reed used a drop/add slip to drop a management class and then altered the slip to add an economics class without authorization.
''Whoever keyed it into the system, he changed it to make them believe it was official,'' a source said. Sources say drop/add slips can be picked up virtually anywhere on campus.
Sources say Reed also received a grade for a first aid class after grades were supposed to be submitted. There was no indication he was in the class until days before the Grambling game, when he was suddenly declared academically eligible.
''All this about a grade showing up to me is a rumor,'' Martin said.
Reed, who has had a troubled past at Auburn and now at A&M, didn't return calls to The Times. The Times also tried to reach Reed through his position coach, A&M co-defensive coordinator Brawnski Towns, and was told he didn't want to comment.
Reed went before the school's Judiciary Committee two weeks ago and was informed last week that he had been placed on social probation, which prevents him from participating in extracurricular activities, including football. Sources say Reed, who has one year of eligibility remaining, appealed the ruling and told the Judiciary Committee he would accept the probation if it would allow him to play the rest of this season. The committee is to make a recommendation to Dr. Jerome Roberts, the school's vice president for student affairs.
Roberts said Tuesday afternoon that he expects to receive the recommendation in the next day or so and would take the necessary time to make a fair ruling.
But, Martin said, ''At this time, the department of athletics will not reinstate Brandon Reed unless there is clear evidence that the department of athletics has made a mistake and we are overruled in our current position of facts.''
Reed is eligible to participate under NCAA and SWAC rules, Martin said, but not under A&M standards.
''Brandon Reed has a serious offense against him based on the integrity of the department of athletics as well as the university,'' Martin said. ''Alabama A&M is stepping forward to ensure the integrity in this program.''
A&M coach Ron Cooper would love to have his star cornerback, who had 52 tackles and a team-high nine interceptions and 16 pass breakups a year ago. Cooper said he could have used him in Saturday night's 26-14 loss to Jackson State, when the Bulldogs gave up four touchdown passes.
''Would he have helped us in this game?,'' Cooper asked. ''We're not dumb. He plays the side where two of those touchdowns were thrown.''
But Cooper says he can't concern himself with the matter any longer.
''I've got to move on,'' Cooper said. ''You can only wait around so long.''
Martin said moving on was the right course of action for everyone involved.
''I think in the best interest of the university and the integrity of our program, we should drop it and move on,'' he said. ''We gave the student-athlete, his parents and everyone involved every opportunity to prove his innocence and they couldn't do it.''
