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OSU woes have familiar ring
Sources: QB got cash to pay Clarett charges
Tuesday, January 11, 2005
Bruce Hooley
Plain Dealer Reporter
Columbus- Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith accepted cash from an OSU booster last spring to pay overdue charges for a cellular telephone his mother obtained for former OSU tailback Maurice Clarett.
Multiple sources, both at OSU and close to Smith, confirmed that scenario, which led to Smith's suspension from the Alamo Bowl on Dec. 20.
Smith declined to comment Monday night, as did his mother, Tracy Smith.
Robert Q. Baker, the booster who gave Smith the undetermined amount of cash, did not return a telephone message left at his home in Springfield.
OSU Athletic Director Andy Geiger cited federal student privacy laws in declining comment on the specifics of the Smiths obtaining a cell phone for Clarett during the summer of 2003.
Geiger did, however, broadly discuss his frustration with Smith's actions, prompted by Clarett's request.
"It goes back to the mystery - and this is where we look weak - how do you know the unknowable?" Geiger said. "I don't know how to know if Student A arranges something for Student B and they do it in their private lives. It's very difficult to know that."
Clarett did not play at Ohio State in 2003 because of multiple NCAA rules violations, which included taking extra benefits from Robert Dellimuti, who runs a catering business in Warren.
One of those extra benefits was a cell phone Dellimuti provided Clarett, which investigations by OSU and the NCAA forced Clarett to forfeit.
Sources said Clarett then went to Smith and convinced him to obtain a cell phone through Smith's mother for Clarett's use.
Geiger said OSU investigated Clarett's use of multiple cell phones, but "we did not know anything about that particular cell phone."
Until his actions with Smith became known, Baker co-owned a luxury suite in Ohio Stadium and in the summer of 2003 employed former OSU All-American Chris Gamble at Poly-Care Services in Columbus.
Poly-Care has since bought Baker out of his share of the company.
An internal Poly-Care investigation of Baker's corporate conduct led to the company notifying OSU in early December of Smith's relationship with Baker.
Since then, Ohio State has declined to disclose the amount of cash Smith accepted or his motivation being rooted in paying off the cell phone obtained for Clarett.
"I think they just want the whole thing to go away," said Ted Ginn Sr., Smith's coach at Glenville High School. "It's been hard on Troy. He just wants to move on."
Ohio State coach Jim Tressel said he wished Smith had approached OSU officials before contacting Baker.
"I anguish over it for a couple of reasons," Tressel said. "Number one, there are right ways to handle all situations. Sometimes, you just have to swallow and come tell people 'I don't know the answer to this problem. Help me do the right thing.' "
Smith often has spoken of his friendship with Clarett, suggesting in late September that their relationship might have factored into Tressel's decision to play Justin Zwick as OSU's starter in the Buckeyes' first three games.
Monday, Geiger repeated his pre-Alamo Bowl assertion that Smith's suspension likely will stretch to include the 2005 season-opener against Miami of Ohio, and expressed regret over Smith not involving OSU when Clarett's cell phone bill became due.
"If a youngster is in financial trouble, we have funds and legal ways to assist them," Geiger said. "We have to get to the place where the people talking about [NCAA rules] compliance, [those] who wear the suits in administration, are not the people to watch out for. We're the people to seek out in times of stress.
"It is never OK to try to take a shortcut. Nine times out of 10, that gets found out."
To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:
Sources: QB got cash to pay Clarett charges
Tuesday, January 11, 2005
Bruce Hooley
Plain Dealer Reporter
Columbus- Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith accepted cash from an OSU booster last spring to pay overdue charges for a cellular telephone his mother obtained for former OSU tailback Maurice Clarett.
Multiple sources, both at OSU and close to Smith, confirmed that scenario, which led to Smith's suspension from the Alamo Bowl on Dec. 20.
Smith declined to comment Monday night, as did his mother, Tracy Smith.
Robert Q. Baker, the booster who gave Smith the undetermined amount of cash, did not return a telephone message left at his home in Springfield.
OSU Athletic Director Andy Geiger cited federal student privacy laws in declining comment on the specifics of the Smiths obtaining a cell phone for Clarett during the summer of 2003.
Geiger did, however, broadly discuss his frustration with Smith's actions, prompted by Clarett's request.
"It goes back to the mystery - and this is where we look weak - how do you know the unknowable?" Geiger said. "I don't know how to know if Student A arranges something for Student B and they do it in their private lives. It's very difficult to know that."
Clarett did not play at Ohio State in 2003 because of multiple NCAA rules violations, which included taking extra benefits from Robert Dellimuti, who runs a catering business in Warren.
One of those extra benefits was a cell phone Dellimuti provided Clarett, which investigations by OSU and the NCAA forced Clarett to forfeit.
Sources said Clarett then went to Smith and convinced him to obtain a cell phone through Smith's mother for Clarett's use.
Geiger said OSU investigated Clarett's use of multiple cell phones, but "we did not know anything about that particular cell phone."
Until his actions with Smith became known, Baker co-owned a luxury suite in Ohio Stadium and in the summer of 2003 employed former OSU All-American Chris Gamble at Poly-Care Services in Columbus.
Poly-Care has since bought Baker out of his share of the company.
An internal Poly-Care investigation of Baker's corporate conduct led to the company notifying OSU in early December of Smith's relationship with Baker.
Since then, Ohio State has declined to disclose the amount of cash Smith accepted or his motivation being rooted in paying off the cell phone obtained for Clarett.
"I think they just want the whole thing to go away," said Ted Ginn Sr., Smith's coach at Glenville High School. "It's been hard on Troy. He just wants to move on."
Ohio State coach Jim Tressel said he wished Smith had approached OSU officials before contacting Baker.
"I anguish over it for a couple of reasons," Tressel said. "Number one, there are right ways to handle all situations. Sometimes, you just have to swallow and come tell people 'I don't know the answer to this problem. Help me do the right thing.' "
Smith often has spoken of his friendship with Clarett, suggesting in late September that their relationship might have factored into Tressel's decision to play Justin Zwick as OSU's starter in the Buckeyes' first three games.
Monday, Geiger repeated his pre-Alamo Bowl assertion that Smith's suspension likely will stretch to include the 2005 season-opener against Miami of Ohio, and expressed regret over Smith not involving OSU when Clarett's cell phone bill became due.
"If a youngster is in financial trouble, we have funds and legal ways to assist them," Geiger said. "We have to get to the place where the people talking about [NCAA rules] compliance, [those] who wear the suits in administration, are not the people to watch out for. We're the people to seek out in times of stress.
"It is never OK to try to take a shortcut. Nine times out of 10, that gets found out."
To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: