Yesterday I reported that former Auburn football player Stanley McClover recently told HBO Real Sports that when he was a current player at Auburn, he received extra benefits from a former Auburn assistant coach that would be considered in violation of NCAA rules.
I’ve since learned more specifics about the situation from multiple sources familiar with the HBO production.
I’ve been told that during a recent interview in south Florida, McClover told HBO that he was paid by the aforementioned former Auburn assistant coach to sign with the school out of high school. Additionally, multiple sources told me today that McClover himself was paid by HBO for the interview.*(see update below)
After interviewing McClover, HBO approached McClover’s former Dillard High School football coach Ken Scott about McClover’s allegation regarding his recruitment by Auburn.
After serving as Dillard head football coach in 1991-94 and 1996-98, Scott returned to take over the football program in 2002, which was McClover’s senior year at the high school. (Scott replaced Rodney Gray.)
Here’s what McClover said about his relationship with Scott to the SOUTH FLORIDA SUN-SENTINEL on August 29, 2002:
“We love coach Scott. No disrespect to coach Gray, but that was coach Gray’s first year, and coach Scott has been in the game a long time. So we feel very comfortable with him because when he tells us something, he knows exactly what he’s talking about.”
I’ve been told that during his visit with HBO, Scott refuted McClover’s claim that the high school player had received money to attend Auburn. HBO then approached two more Dillard High School officials who similarly refuted McClover’s story.
One source, who is an assistant coach at a major college football program in the South, indicated that in the wake of Scott and current Dillard High School officials failing to confirm McClover’s claim about his Auburn recruitment, McClover is now wavering on the veracity of his claim and that HBO is pondering whether it should include the former Auburn player’s allegation in the March 30 Real Sports episode.
* UPDATE: In a statement Wednesday, HBO Vice President of Public Relations Ray Stallone denied that HBO paid McClover.
From HBO’s Stallone:
HBO Real Sports has never paid for an interview and never will.
The allegation that HBO paid for an interview is 100% false.
When asked, Stallone also denied that HBO made any offer of financial compensation, implied or otherwise, to McClover.
Follow Brooks on Twitter and join him on Facebook for additional developments on this story.
2:45 pm on February 23rd, 2011
hahaha, UGA is the most thug program in the world. Get Real. War Tiger!
2:53 pm on February 23rd, 2011
Hey RTR, it’s not Stanley that’s recanting… reading comprehension is hard.
28-27
2:58 pm on February 23rd, 2011
That’s good. I hope they completely ignore McClover. Even if he says he has video evidence of Auburn coaches and boosters burning puppies, they’ll still say, “that was 4 years ago it doesn’t matter blah blah blah.”
Instead….isn’t there some allegations that Cam Newton was paid $200,000 to sign with Auburn?
If I was with HBO, I’d start there. Seems a little strange to ignore, but at least it’s not 4 years ago.
Now THAT would make a good story! Instead, we’ll just get to read Auburn fans saying, “See! We’re INNOCENT! This is the proof! They didn’t say the Bama kids won’t be talking either, so get ready to burn Bama! War Tiger! Damn Eagle.”
Good grief. Dirty, dirty, dirty.
Instead of West Georgia, come on over here and play with a REAL football program. Notice how many UGA players are in the NFL Combine this year? The most in the SEC—–two more than Auburn OR Bama.
And no HBO interviews…
3:02 pm on February 23rd, 2011
UGA has more players with the proper credentials. Arrest records.
3:10 pm on February 23rd, 2011
he is now realizing that he could be bringing Auburn down with these allegations and is wanting to back out.
3:14 pm on February 23rd, 2011
Yep, NFL combine is full of “dawgs”. That tells you how p#ss poor your coaching staff is.
3:32 pm on February 23rd, 2011
It is unbelievable how unethical and corrupt the SEC is. Arrest records, paying players, worst graduation rates in the country, disgusting racists, etc.
3:37 pm on February 23rd, 2011
Can’t we all just get along Brooks? You should write for soap operas. You would be good at it. I was.
3:37 pm on February 23rd, 2011
But USC gets worked for something someone else did?
3:44 pm on February 23rd, 2011
get ready for the Javier Arenas pay for play story to come out.
3:58 pm on February 23rd, 2011
If the high school coaches say this is a hoax, then it must be true! I know that when a college recruiter gave me money to sign with his school, my high school coaches were the first people that I told!
Who - in their ever-loving right mind - would tell his high school coach that he got some money to sign with a college! These coaches claims carry no water.
Idiots!
4:09 pm on February 23rd, 2011
If I had an Auburn degree I’d hang my head in shame and burn it.
4:14 pm on February 23rd, 2011
@ the truth
Just go online and you can print one out.
4:41 pm on February 23rd, 2011
Tick Tock, Auburn still Nat Champs 24 hours a day for the rest of the year until dye next Title game - tick tock hehehe
5:05 pm on February 23rd, 2011
Arenas pay for play!?!?! OMG you Barners have lost it, he is going to talk about the contact that was made by a agent AFTER his injury while he was in the hospital. Y’all paying for players has really brought an ugly light to the SEC.
5:22 pm on February 23rd, 2011
“Rest of the story part 2
3:44 pm on February 23rd, 2011
get ready for the Javier Arenas pay for play story to come out.”
I was right, it barely took an hour.
Good grief. That’s West Georgia U for ya. GO DAWGS.
5:30 pm on February 23rd, 2011
86Kim you are a complete idot…
“McClover is now wavering on the veracity of his claim”
I know the quote contains big words. Maybe if you wouldnt have went to a country school you would have been able to figure out the definition.
5:34 pm on February 23rd, 2011
War Dead Ducks…………….lol, ya did it to yaself barners.
N how dem po little twees doing………………lmbo
5:39 pm on February 23rd, 2011
And those high school coaches……don’t you think for one second they are snow white. They get bought and paid for more than the players.
6:20 pm on February 23rd, 2011
BRANCH All In-ian fans. Don’t spin anything on UGA. It’s YOUR cult university that’s being investigated on MANY fronts. FBI, NCAA have YOUR number and MORE is coming.
You can find some type of solace in spinning McClover’s story and Brooks reporting but NOTHING will take away all the rival fans attention to what’s going on at the plains. ROFL! That will be going on for a long time. Stories like McClover’s only support the current investigation into AU and the poison tree stories will only get you so much sympathy and won’t overshadow the BIGGER story of the NCAA investigating your cult.
Rival fans across the country are watching this CLOSELY and laughing at the many ignorant followers of your cheating, false prophet, coaching staff.
Spin, spin and spin more. Everyone is continuing to laugh at you harder and harder.
7:03 pm on February 23rd, 2011
Javier Arenas pay for play? Just how big did UA have to up the ante over Florida Atlantic? A ballcap and a pack of chewing gum?
7:14 pm on February 23rd, 2011
“You’re one ugly motherf****r.”
-Arnold Schwarzenegger to Stanley McGlover, 1987
7:29 pm on February 23rd, 2011
Hey! I want in on this BS. I was offered money, cars, homes, boats - you name it- to play for Auburn. I want on HBO and ESPN and all the other so called sports reporting networks. What happened to professional journalism? It does not exist! Anyone can allege anything and “reporters” run with it” whether they have the facts or not. Don’t get me started on the bloggers and “never been to college” comments by iliterate rednecks.
8:51 pm on February 23rd, 2011
This is how Auburn operates,every time they get into trouble they will try will try to drag Alabama into it too,just like the Eric Ramsey case
8:57 pm on February 23rd, 2011
Would someone explain why his old high school is so concerned over this,maybe he did not know who all else he get into trouble over this?
12:55 am on February 24th, 2011
I was coached by Coach Malzahn in high school. Just my opinion……. he’s a good guy.
11:14 am on February 24th, 2011
Her’s a thought. Take a picture of the football players cars in Tuscaloosa and then go compare those pictures to the cars for the Auburn players.
Ohk, and ask Julio how many SUVs he had while in turdtown. I guess his family was very affluent in Foley, AL.
11:39 am on February 24th, 2011
The college football world has put a collective * by your championship. It’s about as secure as Reggie Bush’s Heisman was. I’m not surprised to see high school coaches rush to the poor barn’s defense. BL has the best legal team around. No chance that HBO runs the story.
12:17 pm on February 24th, 2011
LOL, RIIIIGGHHHHT….Dillard, where AU has had a pipeline for years due to Tucker Fredrickson. So, maybe he didn’t tell those coaches about why he chose AU. Or, maybe those coaches appreciate the “relationship” between Fredrickson, AU and Dillard and like all of that new equipment they have gotten over the years and other “incentives” to steer players to Auburn, Alabama from the Ft. Lauderdale area.
5:04 pm on February 24th, 2011
The Updyke’s are grasping at straws! They are trying their best to come up with some kind of story that will stick.
1) FBI is investigating Auburn - wrong
2) FBI is investigating Bobby Lowder - wrong……..FDIC and SEC are involved with Colonial Bank investigation
3) Milton McGregor was caught on tape, talking about how AU players were paid - wrong………ask Joe Espy
4) there is a huge investigation down in Thibodaux - wrong…..just ask Lario
We’ll spot you 24!!!!!!!!!!!! Eat it Updyke’s!!!!!
5:34 pm on February 24th, 2011
How in the world would these high schools coaches possibly know whether or not any athlete was paid?
Why ask McClover’s HS coaches what they think happened with because they wouldn’t have a clue anyway and if they did know have a clue they wouldn’t tell?
Let’s say I am his high coach, do you really think I am going to confess that I was aware that a former player of mine got paid to sign with a school, but I didn’t say anything about it until now?
No way brother…
I don’t blame McClover for getting cold feet, he knows what will happen.
Everyone knows he will be banned from Auburn if he sings and I am pretty sure he has been told that by the very people that can make that happen…
11:08 am on February 25th, 2011
“But, but, but……………Cecil Newton showing up at the championship game is an NCAA violation” (so says the Updyke’s)! Uh…..wrong.
“But the Thibodaux story is expanding the investigation into Auburn”! Wrong again, Updyke’s!
Poor Bammers (Updyke’s)! They’re just to dumb to figure it out.
11:16 am on February 25th, 2011
Hey RTR……………is the “country school” the same school whose business program ranks waaaaaaaay ahead of Updyke U? When the rankings came out in US News and World Report, let’s just say, Updyke U wasn’t even on the same page as Auburn! You had to turn the page to fing Updyke U!
Eat it boy!
4:15 pm on February 25th, 2011
Again ‘i hate updyke’s’….collective * by your temporary trophy. I’m sure ya’ll are as pure as the driven snow and nothing will come of this.
11:18 pm on March 24th, 2011
I have no dog in the fight with barners and bammers, but if I had to pick which University is the dirtiest I would pick Bama, I have seen first hand the cheating at Bama during the 60’s and 70’s and Bama has been on probation about 18 of the past 20 year. You do not get put on probation for being good guys.
I would be very afraid if I was a Bama fan if I was told that I was already starring down the barrel of the gun.