Contained in an April, 2010, email exchange between Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel and ex-Buckeye and lawyer Chris Cicero was a detailed inventory of Ohio State player-only items that Columbus Tattoo Parlor owner Edward Rife told Cicero he owned.
From Cicero’s emails, those unredacted items were:
“15 pairs of cleats (with signatures), 4-5 jerseys—all signed by players ..
“9 rings Big Ten Championship ..
“National Championship ring”
Nine months after Cicero’s emails to Tressel, Ohio State - without Tressel’s assistance - self-reported NCAA violations by five football players who provided Rife with items available only to OSU squad members. The players and items reported to the NCAA by Ohio State were:
* Mike Adams: 2008 Big Ten championship ring
* Daniel “Boom” Herron: football jersey, pants and shoes
* DeVier Posey: 2008 Big Ten championship ring
* Terrelle Pryor: 2008 Big Ten championship ring, a 2009 Fiesta Bowl sportsmanship award and 2008 Gold Pants
* Solomon Thomas: 2008 Big Ten championship ring, 2008 Gold Pants
At the time Ohio State announced the NCAA impropriety involving those players, school athletic director Gene Smith said:
“There are no other NCAA violations around this case. We’re very fortunate that we do not have a systemic problem in our program. This is isolated to these young men, isolated to this particular instance. There are no other violations that exist.”
Thanks to Tressel, Smith’s proclamation was proven premature.
In the aftermath of Tressel’s Tuesday admonition that he lied to Ohio State investigators, I made a troubling discovery online today.
Ohio State football player-only items previously owned by as many as four current Buckeye players - items not inventoried in the NCAA Dec. 23, 2010 sanctions report - are currently displayed for sale at an online sports memorabilia site.
On a webpage created Feb. 23, the helmet worn by Daniel “Boom” Herron in the 2009 Michigan-Ohio State game was recently sold in an online auction at Gridironheroes.net for $1,000 with this sale item description:
-Ohio State Buckeyes 2009 helmet, #1. Riddelll Revolution Speed Pro Combat throwback model helmet worn against Michigan last season. Stephanie Spielman memorial decal on rear of helmet. This is a very rare helmet worn by a starting offensive player currently playing for the Buckeyes. Light wear is displayed. The original facemask has been replaced on this helmet. $1000-SOLD
Herron was suspended for five games by the NCAA for selling his Ohio State football jersey, pants and shoes - but not a helmet.
Also currently on sale at the same site are Ohio State game-worn pants from the 2010 Michigan-Ohio State game that belonged to current Buckeye players Jordan Hall and Carlos Hyde. Sale item description:
Ohio State Buckeyes 1942 Tribute Pro Combat pants worn vs Michigan in 2010. We have pants worn by Jordan Hall, and Carlos Hyde.. The #s in the pants under the size indiate the locker number, not the player #. Each locker # for the player is confirmed by Ohio State Athletic Dept. Hall and Hyde are very talented up and coming RBs.. Hall and Hyde, size 30, Washington is size 26. $300 each. -SOLD
Hall and Hyde were not mentioned in the December 23 Ohio State report.
A third player in the same item sale description is referred to only as “Washington.” The only player fitting that description on the current OSU roster who dressed out for the game would be current Buckeye wide receiver Taurian Washington.
Hall, who will be a junior for the 2011 Buckeyes, helped spark Ohio State to a 37-7 win over the Wolverines with an 85-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in the Michigan game. The running back is from Jeannette, Pennsylvania, the hometown of Pryor.
Hyde, who appeared in seven games as a running back for Ohio State in 2010, will be a sophomore for the 2011 season.
It isn’t known if the three or possibly four items, once the property of current Ohio State football players, were ever in the possession of Edward Rife. (Ed. note: See update below on these items.)
The website Gridironheroes.net was registered under the name Shawn Kennedy on Oct. 18, 2010. The address associated with the site is in the Tampa-St. Pete area.
Again, Ohio State Athletic Director Smith’s declaration on Dec. 23, 2010, when he announced NCAA sanctions against the school:
“There are no other NCAA violations around this case. We’re very fortunate that we do not have a systemic problem in our program. This is isolated to these young men, isolated to this particular instance. There are no other violations that exist.”
With the online discovery of new items for sale attributed to current Ohio State players, including one player previously cited for violations by the NCAA and Ohio State, it isn’t unreasonable to think that Smith may have jumped the gun with his statement in more ways than one.
UPDATE: On Jan. 2, 2011, Jill Riepenhoff of the COLUMBUS DISPATCH reported:
The NCAA deferred all questions about the profiteering rule to Ohio State. Ohio State said it was the NCAA’s job to explain how and why the rule is enforced.
Ohio State tries to police the rule with occasional Internet sweeps of auction sites. The Dispatch found two items for sale last week from the 2009 Michigan game: a pair of shoes and a helmet. Both items, the seller posted, belonged to current players. Ohio State said that it is investigating.
The helmet for sale on the aforementioned auction site was also worn by a current Ohio State player in the 2009 Michigan-OSU game.
Gridironheroes.net also has a pair of Ohio State shoes, owned by a current Buckeye, for sale on the site with this description:
Ohio State Buckeyes 2009 shoes. Nike pro-combat shoes from the 2009 Buckeys vs. Wolverines game. Only worn during the one game by a back-up O-lineman who is now starting for the Bucks. $250
UPDATE: Ohio State is currently selling “Game Worn 1942 Tribute Pants” on its website with the following description:
The Ohio State football team wore a special uniform in its game Nov. 27 vs. Michigan as part of the Nike Rivalry series. This unique one-time-only tribute pays homage to Ohio State’s 1942 1st national championship team in its styling and design. Ohio State was one of 10 elite football programs to debut the Nike Pro Combat uniform.
The school’s site does not identify who wore the pants, but it isn’t unreasonable to think that the pants from Hall, Clyde and possibly Washington came from that same OSU site sale.
Though that doesn’t account for the Herron helmet and ‘09 Michigan game shoes from a “starting” Ohio State offensive lineman.
Follow Brooks on Twitter or join him on Facebook for real-time updates.
9:15 pm on March 11th, 2011
You’re making some huge leaps here. Ohio State sells game-worn items on their own web site. Anyone may purchase those items for resale. Your method of connect-the-dots is a bit faulty.
http://www.nmnathletics.com/sellnew/SellHome.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=17310&utm_source=internal&utm_medium=DVD%2Bmenu%20link&utm_campaign=test
9:33 pm on March 11th, 2011
Brooks, check the athletic department website. They have an auction and sold these items themselves (still have some game used pants available).
9:36 pm on March 11th, 2011
Can I get on board before this explodes and say how ridiculous it is that players can’t sell their own possessions?
This whole hoopla is because kids sold their own goods for below market value. I mean, when we step back and look at this, how crazy is that?
10:03 pm on March 11th, 2011
celemo, you are a douchecanoe too. Nothing to justify you idiot. There is nothing here that anyone needs to justify.
10:06 pm on March 11th, 2011
lol @ the OSU fags trying to justify this…
10:25 pm on March 11th, 2011
S-S-S-Stop picking on us! WAAAAAAAAAH!
11:32 pm on March 11th, 2011
OSU auctioned spring game jerseys for cancer research last year.
There’s no game-used football items after 2008 on the OSU website.
11:41 pm on March 11th, 2011
Brooks, go to https://www.nmnathletics.com/sellnew/ViewCategory.dbml?_IN_STORE_=YES&DB_OEM_ID=17310&_MODE_=&ITMCATID=49809. You can still buy a pair of 2010 game used pants. They did the same thing in 2009, but they sold out. Many people said it went to charity, but I think these go to the athletic department. Also, you should know that only seniors get to keep these items; the athletic department keeps the others and can do what they want with them.
11:44 pm on March 11th, 2011
Thanks for adding, but you’re still missing a major point. They did the same thing in 2009. Obviously they were popular items and sold out rather quickly. They also sold helmets last year and they were easy to identify which player wore it since they had a number on them. The pants had a number written on the inside, so while you might not know who wore them when you bought them, you knew as soon as you got them. Once someone bought them, it was their prerogative to sell them to someone else (and identify the player). I respect what you do, but this is a non-story.
11:56 pm on March 11th, 2011
B,
Thanks, added to the post.
1:32 am on March 12th, 2011
As my daddy would say, “Sorry but y’all fucked.”
1:33 am on March 12th, 2011
Besides the rings and gold pants?
1:53 am on March 12th, 2011
Interesting that ALL the additional items ‘found here” are the Nike Combat Uniforms (Not Ohio State’s regular uniforms) that are specifically used for ONLY one game and then auctioned off TO THE PUBLIC - geez, talk about unethical accusations…
7:44 am on March 12th, 2011
All I can say over 400 NCAA violations in the last 10 years. The most ever in history!
I hate to say it but The Ohio State is a DIRTY PROGRAM, and at least should be stripped of 2010.
The NCAA has to set an example here.
7:47 am on March 12th, 2011
400 NCAA violations 10 in years, Ohio State is a dirty program.
12:14 pm on March 12th, 2011
Ohio State fans should be really nervous right now. Justify this all you want in Myopia Land but a massive hammer is coming. Take a seat next to USC on the sidelines for a few years.
5:25 pm on March 12th, 2011
For the OSU fans trying to makes excuses…ALL players get to keep the Pro Combat Uniforms, NOT just seniors. This is 100% absolute fact as I am good friends with a RS Junior who is on the team and has his Pro Combat and bowl Uniforms…So sorry to break it to ya but this is a story and can easily be confirmed by a phone call to the athletic dept.
6:33 pm on March 12th, 2011
Chad: The school absolutely did auction off pro combat apparel on the Ohio State auction site both years . Perhaps they were alternates that were not game worn (now being sold as if they were) but they were DEFINITELY auctioned off.
Also if you clowns could quit citing the “400 violations” statistic (375 violations actually), that violation count applies to the ENTIRE ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT and comes out to about 1 violation of any magnitude per sport per year. Ohio State has the largest athletic department in the country, it’s no shocker they have the most violations. You have no idea how athletic departments work if you think that is an excessively large number.
In the same article for instance it cites Oklahoma having 224 violations, 224 violations over 17 teams: 13.17 violations over 10 years per team. Ohio State: 375 violations over 36 teams: 10.42 violations over 10 years per team. The overwhelming amount of violations are going to be ticky tack shit that most people wouldn’t think about, some athlete attends an athletic department event where boosters are present without filling out the proper paperwork. A track coach runs into someone that could potentially be deemed as a recruit at some meet or something.
6:35 pm on March 12th, 2011
Osu is NOT a dirty program.
Fact: OSU has by far the largest compliance dept in the country.
Fact: violations are self-reported by OSU and are secondary or minor in nature, unlike many.
Which is one reason USC got hammered so hard. Their AD stuck their heads in the sand and the Athletic Director bad mouthed the allegations in the press instead of addressing it. (although I still think what they got was way harsh) I am not defending Tress or saying what penalties should or should not be. But what I am saying is they are as above board with stuff as anybody in the country. Compliance found these emails while looking for info on a different matter. OSU could easily have hit delete and moved on….Again, self-reported and cooperated with NCAA and they will work with you. Remember, this was already reported to NCAA before yahoo report.
6:43 pm on March 12th, 2011
I meant to say to say self-report and cooperate and the NCAA will be less harsh in the last sentance. Again, not saying what OSU shoud or should not get or that they should get lenancy.
7:24 pm on March 13th, 2011
If OSU is selling memorabilia, they better be cataloging sales. Otherwise, they’re just creating cover for their athletes, albeit unintentionally.
Sad to see the university making $$$ on items the players can’t sell, although I completely understand the principle involved:
“And in other news, J. Clowney picked USC as his school after his game-worn high school jersey was purchased by a consortium of USC alumn on Ebay for $289,000.”
Talk about a total free-for-all.
11:49 pm on March 13th, 2011
true religion jeans:
Do you have any thing to show the proof of the clowney jersey sale? Who was the seller, and did the money then go to the family or what? I do not meant to get off topic, but you through it out there. We here of theses kind of rumors all the time though…
7:33 am on March 15th, 2011
“Do you have any thing to show the proof of the clowney jersey sale? Who was the seller, and did the money then go to the family or what? I do not meant to get off topic, but you through it out there. We here of theses kind of rumors all the time though…”
I think someone’s sarcasm meter isn’t working. You need to HEAR it again.
7:07 pm on March 15th, 2011
Ohio State is DIRTY … deny it all you want Buckeye Fans … but the sleazey facts are apparent !