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Need to Know

Marcell Dareus Joins the List

By Paul Myerberg   //   Jul 21, 2010

Marcell Dareus, seen here scoring against Texas, is under investigation by the N.C.A.A.

If you don’t break rules, you won’t get caught. So states the N.C.A.A. Unfortunately, everybody cheats, some more than others, some very little, some to a degree — hello, U.S.C. — bordering on lunacy. The smaller, secondary violations include calling a recruit during a quiet period. Nothing too major. Please don’t do it again, a letter from the N.C.A.A. might say, or we’ll have to send another letter. That’s little fish. The improper relationship between agents and student-athletes? That’s big fish — like “make the N.C.A.A.’s day” big. One school, a prime national title contender, has already been penalized.

Details remain hazy. We know that Marcell Dareus was in Miami’s South Beach, attending a party thrown by an agent. This is not necessarily forbidden: as long as Dareus paid his own way to Miami; bought his own food and drinks; paid for living accommodations; and accepted no goods or services from any individual — say, an agent — he’s in the clear. Suggesting he did otherwise, without knowing the details of the situation, would be inappropriate. Dareus knows what occurred, as does the N.C.A.A. — maybe — and the compliance department at Alabama.

It bears noting that in addition to Dareus, two of the party’s attendees were Weslye Saunders, South Carolina tight end, and North Carolina defensive tackle Marvin Austin. Both, like Dareus, are under investigation from the N.C.A.A. There’s some smoke here, yes. According to a report in the Tuscaloosa News, a source has noted that Austin’s potentially improper involvement is more concerning to the N.C.A.A. than Dareus.

Before moving forward, let’s touch on a few things. As Roll Bama Roll has pointed out, sources close to the situation have said Dareus is the only Alabama player believed to be associated with the N.C.A.A. investigation. Good news for a team looking for a repeat. As the Tuscaloosa News writes:

(Alabama) will petition immediately for the reinstatement of Dareus’ eligibility. The N.C.A.A. will make the ultimate ruling on when, or if, Dareus will be reinstated. It is standard procedure for a player to be declared ineligible immediately whenever a question of whether the player violated N.C.A.A. rules arises.

The best news for Nick Saban and Alabama? It’s still July, meaning the university and the governing body have more than a month to investigate any potential wrongdoing and come to an eventual conclusion. More often than not, players facing such an accusation face an N.C.A.A.-mandated suspension: it ranges from two games, maybe four, all the way up to the season — and a career — as we saw with Oklahoma State’s Dez Bryant last fall.

Dareus certainly falls in the former category; Austin, when all is said and done, may fall in the latter. By all accounts, Dareus has been forthright and open with the N.C.A.A., a good move. Without alleging any misconduct — again, we are still in the dark regarding the particulars — let’s say that Dareus accepted free airfare, food, drinks and hotel accommodations. The resulting penalty would likely be a four-game suspension: bad, but not deadly. However, the Crimson Tide face Penn State at home on Sept. 11 and travel to Arkansas two weeks later.

Alabama will survive this. Dareus is terrific, a potential all-American and top 10 pick in next year’s N.F.L. draft, but he’s not irreplaceable. At least for the first third of the year, even with two stout opponents on the September schedule. If he turns out to be the only Alabama player to face such accusations, the program should ultimately benefit from his suspension. It sounds strange, I know. But look for Saban to put his program on lockdown, preventing any N.F.L. personnel — who are granted unprecedented access to the program — from stepping on campus during the season. This, in Saban’s mind, would keep away the agents who see his players as dollar signs.

Tags: Alabama, Marcell Dareus, N.C.A.A. violations, Nick Saban

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