CB Devon Torrence (official thread)

[osugrad21]

BN $

Devon discusses his two-sport plan.

 

[TheStoicPaisano]

Scout.com: Torrence Signs with the Astros

I’m going to play baseball up until August 4TH and then I’ll report back to Columbus for fall football practice and I will be enrolled for fall classes. Football will come first. I want to make that clear. Next spring I might go play baseball in spring training with the Astros. Spring football won’t start until early April so that wouldn’t be a problem. It just depends on the spring training dates and when school lets out. I’m not sure about playing baseball in the spring and the Astros know that might not happen.
continued...

Torrence will be in the Appalachian League by the end of the week.

 

[osugrad21]

Canton Rep

Torrence signs Astros? contract
document.title = "Torrence signs Astros? contract";Tuesday, June 19, 2007
By JOSH WEIR
repository sports writer

MASSILLON Every so often, life offers a scenario that seems too good to be true.

If it?s a dream, Devon Torrence doesn?t want to wake up.

The former Canton South High School dual-sport star signed a professional baseball contract early Monday evening with the Houston Astros.

As part of the deal, he also is allowed to honor his football scholarship to Ohio State University.

?I thought I was going to have to give up one or the other, and I definitely didn?t want to do that,? said Torrence, a 16th round choice by the Astros. ?It?s a little weird to think I?m a pro baseball player. I don?t think it?s hit me yet.?

Cont...


On JT:

?I can?t say enough about Coach Tressel and the care he showed for Devon as a person,? Speed said. ?He wanted what was best for Devon.?

?He told me he definitely wanted me as a football player, but he also wanted me to follow my dream,? Torrence said.

On the schollie:

Whether Torrence will keep his football scholarship is unclear at the moment. According to Speed, an NCAA bylaw enacted last summer allows an athlete to play professionally in one sport while receiving financial aid in another at the collegiate level. It also is common for the baseball organization to foot the financial bill of college.

 

[osugrad21]

Dispatch

Ohio State
Baseball deal enables Torrence to pursue two dreams

Tuesday, June 19, 2007 3:29 AM
By Ken Gordon


THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Devon Torrence didn't have to choose between two sports after all. The Canton South product signed a contract with the Houston Astros yesterday that will allow him to play minor-league baseball, then report for Ohio State football practice in August.

Cont...

 

[ant80]

Does that mean the Astros are paying for him? Or does he use up one schollie?

 

[Napoleonbuck]

If he plays he uses up a scholly. I think that's the rule baring any transfer rules(i.e. Kerr).

 

[CookyPuss]

Does that mean the Astros are paying for him? Or does he use up one schollie?

I believe it is irrelevant if he plays. If he sees the field, I believe he still counts against the limit of 85. It's just a matter of who pays the bill.

I found this on the Nebraska Scout site regarding walk-ons, but believe it applies here as well:

Scout

If a walk-on football student-athlete is considered "recruited" per NCAA rules, then any institutional aid, including UNL academic scholarships such as "Regents Scholarship", 'David Scholarship", or "The Scholarship for New Nebraskans", would cause this student to be counted in the 85 maximum head-count for Football if the student competes in Varsity competition. (refer to Bylaws 15.02.41.(a) and 15.5.1.2.1). If this potential counter does NOT compete in Division I Varsity Football, and the UNL institutional scholarship is certified as unrelated to athletics ability, then the student may receive the UNL institutional scholarship and NOT be counted toward the 85-man limit.

If a walk-on football student-athlete is considered "not recruited" per NCAA rules, then institutional aid (such as the scholarships listed above) that is certified as unrelated to athletics ability may be received, and the non-recruited walk-on student would not count toward the 85-man limit. This student may compete and still would not be considered countable. (Refer Bylaw 15.5.1.3.2)

As a "recruited" player, he would count.

 

[ant80]

I read and understood the rule (above post), but am still not sure. Wasn't there talk of Joe Bauserman a few months back, and didn't everyone conclude that since the baseball team was paying for his scholarship, he wouldn't count towards the limit? How is this situation any different other than for the fact that Torrence is going to do it simultaneously? JT did offer Joe a schollie, so he would be considered recruited.

Another thing I'm not clear on is that "institutional aid" clause. If the Astros are paying for his tuition, he wouldn't be receiving that "institutional aid" geared towards atheletics.

I guess it all boils down to who is "recruited" and who is "not recruited" according to NCAA rules. But I honestly don't see any difference between Joe and Devon. If, on the other hand, the Astros are not paying for Devon, and if the money is coming from the athletics department's pocket, then I would understand why it would count towards the limit.

 

[Napoleonbuck]

Devon was recruited, while Bauserman wasn't. Bauserman decided where he was going to walk-on at, but he wasn't recruited by the staff this go around.

 

[TheStoicPaisano]

And there's also the LOI that Torrence signed that Bauserman did not. That being said, I don't see how Devon can count against the limit if the Astros pay for his schooling. The money would not come from the coffers of the Athletic Department.

 

[CookyPuss]

And there's also the LOI that Torrence signed that Bauserman did not. That being said, I don't see how Devon can count against the limit if the Astros pay for his schooling. The money would not come from the coffers of the Athletic Department.

Where the money comes from is irrelevant. It would be the same as him earing an academic scholarship. As a "recruited" player he counts against the limit the moment he steps on the field of play. It doesn't matter if his tuition is paid by the athletic department, himself, the 'Stros, or the Little Sisters of the Poor. If he red shirts, they could give out one additional scholarship for this year to a walk on or reduce next year's class by 1.

 

[TheStoicPaisano]

This doesn't make sense to me. What is the difference between the Astros cutting a check and Mrs. Torrence cutting a check? It's not the athletic department or one of its sponsors, so there'd be no financial aid from the school. So I'll ask again, if Torrence receives no aid from the athletic department, how does he count against the scholarship limit?

Also, Antonio Smith was on academic scholarship from the day he stepped on campus and had two letters under his belt before being converted to athletic scholarship after the 2005 season. It was only then that he counted towards the 85-man limit.

To take it even further, punter Jon Thoma was recruited (he made an official visit) and played in a game last year. I've heard nothing about a scholarship being awarded to him.

 

[MililaniBuckeye]

This doesn't make sense to me. What is the difference between the Astros cutting a check and Mrs. Torrence cutting a check? It's not the athletic department or one of its sponsors, so there'd be no financial aid from the school. So I'll ask again, if Torrence receives no aid from the athletic department, how does he count against the scholarship limit?

Then why can't alums pay for the players? Or alum-owned entities? Or any other non-family members? Allowing so opens up a pandora's box.

Good case in point, in a off-hand sort of way, is how George Steinbrenner drafted Drew Henson from Michigan to hurt the Wolverines...now turn that around to where he drafts two-sport players like Torrence on the condition they play their football at Ohio State. Serious outside influence here.

When Devon signed his LOI it was essentially a contract with Ohio State--and moreso the NCAA--that he would play football at Ohio State at the cost of a football scholarship from Ohio State. Also, that LOI binds Ohio State to pay for his scholarship at the cost of a hit on the quota of 85.

 

[TheStoicPaisano]

Then why can't alums pay for the players? Or alum-owned entities? Or any other non-family members? Allowing so opens up a pandora's box.

Good case in point, in a off-hand sort of way, is how George Steinbrenner drafted Drew Henson from Michigan to hurt the Wolverines...now turn that around to where he drafts two-sport players like Torrence on the condition they play their football at Ohio State. Serious outside influence here.

When Devon signed his LOI it was essentially a contract with Ohio State--and moreso the NCAA--that he would play football at Ohio State at the cost of a football scholarship from Ohio State. Also, that LOI binds Ohio State to pay for his scholarship at the cost of a hit on the quota of 85.

To my knowledge, there are many alums who have a scholarship in their name. Tomczak, Tovar, Lachey, heck, even Tressel donates an endowment. What is scrutinized heavily is if there is any undue influence on their part to convince a prospective student-athlete to come to OSU.

As for Steinbrenner or the Astros, how could they foresee that someone like Torrence would be around in the 16th round? Besides, Torrence committed to his home state team, not to Texas. I would join you in raising a stink if an Ohioan left for a school in another state and four months later, that local MLB team gave him a fat bonus.

Regarding the LOI, it is not something that the NCAA oversees. Second, Torrence could easily have called up the athletic office and asked for a release, saying "the Astros will pay for my education". I'm not saying that's what he did, but it is certainly feasible to get a release.

 

[MililaniBuckeye]

To my knowledge, there are many alums who have a scholarship in their name. Tomczak, Tovar, Lachey, heck, even Tressel donates an endowment. What is scrutinized heavily is if there is any undue influence on their part to convince a prospective student-athlete to come to OSU.

Those scholarships aren't to play football...they are not replacing a football scholarship to a football player.

Regarding the LOI, it is not something that the NCAA oversees.

On the contrary, I think the NCAA most certainly does oversee the entire LOI process...