Craig goes over the University of Kentucky scandal, and we hear from UT Football players

Craig goes over the University of Kentucky scandal, and we hear from UT Football players Alfred Collins, Jake Majors, CJ Baxter, and Anthony Hill Jr.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
I guess you could say it's breaking news. I mean
it just came down. You know a lot of people
when you say breaking news, something cataclysmic or that, it's
not that. But it is an updated thing, an updated story,
and it's about the University of Kentucky football team, not

(00:21):
basketball football team. Kentucky's football program is going to have
to vacate football games played and won and served two
years of probation because of rules violations committed in twenty
twenty one and twenty twenty two.

Speaker 2 (00:41):
The NCAA just made this announcement. Just a little while ago.

Speaker 1 (00:44):
The school reached an agreement with the NCAA's Committee on
Infractions on a case involving impermissible benefits for at least
eleven football players who receive payment for work not performed
between spring twenty twenty one. In March twenty twenty two,
eight of the players went on to compete while ineligible,
but Kentucky the NCAA enforcement staff agreed that no Kentucky

(01:05):
athletic staff member knew or reasonably should have known about
the payments of the program will not be hit with
the dreaded failure to monitor violation. They're saying these guys
weren't showing up for work. But there's no way that
the university could have known that. The NCAA also sanctioned

(01:29):
Kentucky for rules violations in its men's and women's swimming
programs which exceeded countable athletically related activities limits.

Speaker 2 (01:42):
Think about that for a moment. I'll repeat it.

Speaker 1 (01:45):
They exceeded countable athletically related activities limits.

Speaker 2 (01:53):
What do you think that means? Col I got it,
I got a theory.

Speaker 1 (01:56):
I've got to the gears are turning in my head
and I can't come up with anything. It's sounds like,
for example, if you go if a basketball team goes
to let's say the Texas basketball team will go to
Brooklyn this fall in November. When they go up there,
there's certain activities that they can do, Like when Chris

(02:20):
Bier was the coach here, he took the entire team
to the top of the Empire State Building and then
there was a dinner at a thing, and then there
was like something else as well. So there's those kinds
of things. But there's a limit on the amount of
those type and kinds of activities that you can take

(02:40):
a team or expose a team too like functivities.

Speaker 2 (02:44):
Yeah, I guess so. I guess so.

Speaker 1 (02:46):
Apparently Kentucky Men's and women's swimming violated that the agreement
states of athletes weren't provided. Here's the other thing too, Okay,
this makes sense to Additionally, the agreement stated that the
athletes weren't provided with required days off and exceeded practice

(03:09):
hours for nearly three years. I agree to failed to
monitor at swimming a diving program, and the head coach
was deemed responsible. One former coach that I participated in
the agreement that part of the case that we considered
separately by the committee. The process is I'm going in
the committee's final decision, including possible penalties for that former
coach are tending so also exceeding practice time and they're

(03:32):
supposed to have required days off.

Speaker 2 (03:34):
And things like that.

Speaker 1 (03:35):
I've been around all of the Texas athletic programs long
enough to wear us see. There's really good communication between
the head coach and like the operations folks and some
of the others going, we got to give them a
day off next week, right, Okay, let's do this day.
We can take some of the players to this and

(03:56):
some have to do that or whatever. They keep track
of ale all of that, and they log all of that,
and they record all of that on what they can
you know, take the players to and what they can
do with them, and how much they can work them
and on what days and can they work them, you
know additionally on other days. And you should also know

(04:20):
too that it's now kind of an unusual situation with
the way the NCAA rules are defined. It used to be,
and I'll use basketball as an example of this. It
used to be that in the off season basketball players
could not do certain things and they couldn't be on

(04:42):
campus practicing and do any workouts of less. It's just
things on their own, like shooting in the gym, getting
shots up, you know, that.

Speaker 2 (04:48):
Kind of thing. And there were no.

Speaker 1 (04:53):
Organized team activity in terms of a practice.

Speaker 2 (04:57):
There was no.

Speaker 1 (04:59):
W workouts until no workouts until October fifteenth.

Speaker 2 (05:07):
That was the first day.

Speaker 1 (05:07):
Remember Kentucky doing Midnight Madness and all these other ones
we did, you know, so you couldn't actually start practice
until October fifteenth. Now, that October fifteenth date is still
in play in terms of the entire team on the floor,
with the entire coaching staff on the floor and all that,

(05:30):
but the rules now have been modified and adjusted to
where a coach can work with groups of players. Several
coaches can work with smaller groups of players you know
they can do and plus the individual workouts as well.
So those rules have been adjusted over the years by
the NCAAA, and so basketball coaches can make out a

(05:52):
schedule of what days they can have everybody on the floor,
what days guys are in the weight room or things
like that, according to the rules down by the NCAAA.

Speaker 2 (06:01):
So that's how that works.

Speaker 1 (06:02):
In the case of Kentucky here, it apparently was with
the swimming program for the men and women that it
was just blowing straight through.

Speaker 2 (06:14):
Times that were supposed to be off.

Speaker 1 (06:15):
Days and they didn't have that. After the practice tonight,
they'll be a little bit of or after I guess tomorrow,
there'll be some downtime for them and before they come
back and go back to work on the practice field.

Speaker 2 (06:30):
When they do, they will continue to have.

Speaker 1 (06:38):
The what is anticipated as being one of the best
offensive lines in the country. And Jake Majors is the
veterans center coming back and he was asked what he
is most It's funny we're giving away these copies of
Dave Campbell's Texas Football, and we're asking you what you
look forward to the most and getting a copy of

(06:59):
the magazine by leaving us a message. On the talkback feature,
Jake Majors was asked what he's most looking forward to
seeing happen in camp.

Speaker 2 (07:09):
I'm super excited this fall.

Speaker 3 (07:11):
Camp has had a great start, So I'm just looking
forward to, you know, building team chemistry, building, you know
the chemistry and the old Lion group. So I take
that with pride, and I don't take it.

Speaker 2 (07:21):
Lightly, Okay.

Speaker 1 (07:25):
Then Jake Majors was asked about a couple of longhorns.

Speaker 2 (07:31):
One we heard from CJ.

Speaker 1 (07:33):
Baxter last hour and where he's trying to improve his
total skill set as a football player. He's trying to
become a better football player, not just a better running back.
And how do you do that? How do you go
about being a better running back and a better football player? Well,
for one, you become a better blocker. And who better

(07:54):
to also get some pointers from than an experienced offensive lineman.

Speaker 2 (07:57):
So Baxter does that. He leans on his offensive line.

Speaker 1 (08:00):
He asks for some help on that, and that includes
Jake Majors, who was asked about CJ. Baxter's impact on
the team, what he can do or running the football
as well as blocking.

Speaker 3 (08:10):
I've just seen a lot of growth and a lot
of maturity. I really appreciate him stepping into that role
with Blue and just taking it head on and you know,
embracing the fact that we've had all these great running
backs come through and you know, he wants to live
up to that standard. So you know, I appreciate him
for that. Just wanting to get better every day, and
I'm really excited for the season.

Speaker 1 (08:31):
Yeah, that's a real important thing, is everybody wanting everybody
to be better, making everybody better as a result of that,
and all consulting and helping that, and that includes the
guy you're lining up against. We're gonna hear from Alfred Collins.
A little later on, however, Jake Majors was asked about

(08:51):
Alfred cous The reason why he's asking was asked about
Alfred is because they line up opposite one another in
the trench. So you got Jake right over the football
and you get Alfred as an interior defensive lineman lining
up right over the ball, and they go at it
hammer and tong every day when they get out on
the practice field, snap after snap, and they have a

(09:11):
lot of mutual respect for one another. And Majors was
asked about to Alfred Collins and his improvement and development.

Speaker 3 (09:18):
I would say, not like his game wise, just being
an excellent leader. I'd say he's stepped up so big
with Byron and t Sweat leaving, He's done a great
job just setting the example for the D line, set
in the standard, just being vocal when things aren't, you know,
up to that standard. So he's done a great job
on the field on play.

Speaker 2 (09:35):
You know, I love going.

Speaker 3 (09:36):
Into Alfred because he tests me every day and I
believe he'll play at the next level. So it's just
fun to go against a guy who has that potential.

Speaker 1 (09:42):
Well, Jake Major certainly has the potential to play in
the NFL as well. And he was asked what his
biggest goal would be, both individually and team wise. You know,
players a lot of times shy away from talking about
the individual goal thing. They're talking about the you know,
the team goal, wanting to be better, all that kind
of stuff. And Majors was asked about his biggest goal
for the year.

Speaker 3 (10:03):
It's my biggest goal this year was a porting to
the younger guys because I've been here for so long,
and I take pride in anchoring this O line because
I've been here for so long.

Speaker 2 (10:10):
And Floods and trusted me with that roles. Yeah, Floods interesting.

Speaker 1 (10:14):
And with that role that would be Kyle Flood, the
co offensive coordinator is the offensive line coach. And then
one more from Jake Majors. This team, of course, won
a Big Twelve championship last year. They won twelve games.
They won twelve loss to The only losses were the

(10:35):
thirty four to thirty game to.

Speaker 2 (10:36):
Oklahoma in Dallas, and then of course.

Speaker 1 (10:40):
That the lost to Washington in the Sugar Bowl in
the College Football Playoff semifinal. They went twelve and too,
they won the Big Twelve championship, won all the rest
of the conference games, and they won the Big Twelve title,
and so there was a real championship air about it.
This team, however, would be very quick to tell you

(11:05):
that that was then, this is now. In a couple
of areas, One, that was then and this is now
meaning that was last year and you.

Speaker 2 (11:14):
Move on for it.

Speaker 1 (11:15):
Two and this is nothing. Any of these guys need
to be reminded of but they are by their coaching
staff and than probably any fan that.

Speaker 2 (11:21):
Would stop them.

Speaker 1 (11:23):
It's the SEC, and so the SEC is going to
be a different environment entirely so trying to win another
championship this time and the uber competitive and more difficult
Southeastern Conference, well it has its own challenges right in front. Nevertheless,

(11:45):
Jake Majors didn't mind addressing the question when asked if
this is another championship caliber type team regardless of what
conference they're going into.

Speaker 2 (11:56):
I do.

Speaker 3 (11:56):
I think, you know, we're a lot younger besides me,
of course, but I think that we have a lot
of guys that want to live up to the standard
this past year is created. So I'm not worried because
I know that the type of players that we have,
I know the type of leadership we have, So the
only worry I have is just, you know, can we
meet that potential?

Speaker 1 (12:15):
Because we have so much fifth year seniors, they mean
an awful lot to a football team. We'll hear from
Alfred Collins coming up a little bit later with regard
to being a fifth year senior and getting ready for
his opportunity to play again. And remember they also have
some six year seniors on this team and Jade Baron

(12:36):
quarterback in the secondary, and you have David Benda who
provides that depth and production in the linebacker spot too.
Six year seniors used to be an incredibly rare commodity
because you needed to have a special dispensation from the
NCAAA to do it. It usually involved an athlete playing

(13:04):
a year or not playing his freshman year, or if
he played his freshman year, then red shirting or whatever,
and then later in his career sustaining an injury before
the season ever began, so it was noted as being
a hardship year. As a result of that, it was
called a hardship year, and since it was a hardship year,

(13:25):
you would get that sixth year.

Speaker 2 (13:27):
And it was rare.

Speaker 1 (13:27):
And I remember when Justin maclamore in the nineties was
playing for Texas and it was kind of an unusual situation. Additionally,
when who was the other one, Kevin Watler was a
six year seam, So you had some six year seniors,
but it was much more the exception than it was

(13:48):
the rule. You just didn't have many six year seniors.
But now, and especially because of what happened with the
pandemic and getting that COVID.

Speaker 2 (14:01):
Year of eligibility.

Speaker 1 (14:04):
You've seen it a lot more last year and this year,
so you know that, and this will be I think,
I think the last year that you'll see that, that
you'll see.

Speaker 2 (14:19):
The COVID year going.

Speaker 1 (14:19):
There will still be six year seniors, it will happen,
but I do think that this will probably be the
last year that you see it in abundance anyway, that
you see sixty year seniors played because of the pandemic.
That the pandemic window of opportunity fortunately finally is nearing

(14:43):
its end. Not because and I say fortunately and finally,
not because I don't want to see guys take advantage
of it.

Speaker 2 (14:50):
I'm glad they do.

Speaker 1 (14:52):
I'm glad that they can still play college football or
college basketball or baseball and used that season that was
denied them because the pandemic. What I'm saying is fortunately,
in that we get farther and farther away.

Speaker 2 (15:05):
From the pandemic. So that's a good thing. All right.

Speaker 1 (15:08):
We'll hear from Afred Collins coming up. We've got some
other college football notes and some things to get to
when we continue on Sports Radio AM thirteen under the Zone.

Speaker 2 (15:14):
Of the iHeartRadio