Tennessee recruits Bryce Brown, Brandon Willis and Corey Miller did not respond to requests for interviews. Nor did the hostess Dahra Johnson. Joyce Thompson from the NCAA declined to be interviewed, as did former Tennessee head coach Lane Kiffin, assistant coach David Reaves and Tennessee’s director of student-athlete relations and lettermen, Condredge Holloway.
Quotations from the press conference introducing Kiffin as the new head coach at Tennessee were taken from a video recording. Similarly, quotations attributed to Kiffin accusing Urban Meyer of cheating were taken from a video recording of Kiffin’s speech to boosters in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Text of the SEC’s reprimand of Kiffin was taken from published reports.
We also relied on reporting from Pete Thamel, “N.C.A.A. Puts Tennessee’s Recruiting Under Scrutiny,” New York Times, December 8, 2009; columns (and a photograph) by Andy Staples at SI.com; and published reports in the Knoxville News Sentinel quoting Corey Miller’s father.
The information on the arrest of Nu’Keese Richardson is based on arrest reports and footage from a security surveillance camera outside the convenience store where the incident occurred.
Quotations from the press conference where Kiffin announced his decision to leave Tennessee for USC were taken from a video recording.
Information from the NCAA investigation was taken in part from Infractions Report No. 342, published on November 16, 2012. Further information was obtained from conversations and e-mails between the authors and the NCAA.
3. THE BRAND: Going all in at Michigan
The portrayal of athletic director Dave Brandon is based on multiple interviews with Brandon both in Ann Arbor and on the road at the Cowboys Classic. Personal observations of his professional behavior came from home and road games and Michigan practices. Interviews that helped shape the portrait were conducted with David Ablauf, associate athletic director of public and media relations; Hunter Lochmann, chief marketing officer; Ben Sutton, president of IMG College; and Mike Vollmar, associate athletic director, now a senior associate athletic director in charge of football at Tennessee. Editor John Borton’s article “Investing in the Future,” Wolverine, September 2012, supplied key athletic department financial data that was double-checked with Brandon. Adam Rittenberg’s work for ESPN.com was critical, especially his July 2011 interview with Brandon on branding.
The portrayal of head coach Brady Hoke was the product of interviews with Brandon, Vollmar and several Wolverine players, as well as Hoke, the latter as part of the fall 2012 60 Minutes report on college football. In addition, Hoke was observed at a practice, during film sessions and at games. A Grantland.com Q&A by Davy Rothbart (August 2012) was instrumental in bringing Hoke to life, as was Michael Rothstein’s “Hokefication of Michigan,” WolverineNation, June 2012; and Kellie Woodhouse’s profile on AnnArbor.com.
The synopsis of the Rich Rodriguez era was drawn from Three and Out (New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2011), John U. Bacon’s incisive book on that period, and a follow-up interview with Bacon at a coffee shop in Ann Arbor.
The Denard Robinson mini-profile was born out of an interview with Robinson and discussions with Bacon, Ablauf and other Michigan sources, as well as personal observation of Robinson in multiple game and off-field situations.
The description of the Cowboys Classic—the scene sets, practice, game and postgame—came from one of the authors’ observations. Reporting by Mark Snyder of the Detroit Free Press and Angelique S. Chengelis of the Detroit News proved extremely valuable in filling in critical blanks during the U-M season. Snyder’s March 2010 interview with Brandon played an important role, too.
4. BIG MAN ON CAMPUS: A pretty awesome asset
The portrayal of The Man was the result of multiple interviews as well as conversations with another individual with direct knowledge of his personal relationships.
Published reports and personal observations formed the basis for the description of the University of Texas football program, including its finances, and Darrell K. Royal’s legendary status at the school. Descriptions of the efforts to honor Royal at the Iowa State game and the game summary came directly from reporting in the Austin American-Statesman. Information pertaining to Joe Jamail’s professional career was readily available online and then double-checked personally with Jamail.
The portrait of Don King was the product of several phone conversations, King’s personal Web site, and a leisurely afternoon by one of the authors with King and his colleagues at Big Daddy’s sports bar in Austin.
5. THE VICTIM: “They had suffered enough. They lost their scholarships”
The following individuals were interviewed for this chapter: former BYU head coach Gary Crowton; current BYU head coach Bronco Mendenhall; BYU’s athletic director, Tom Holmoe; Provo detective DeVon Jensen; prosecutor Donna Kelly; criminal defense attorney Greg Skordas; Karland Bennett; and a juror in the rape trial of two BYU football players.
We communicated with the victim through the prosecutor’s office. But she declined our request for an interview. We have used the pseudonym Jane Brown to protect her identity. We also used a pseudonym—Kim Smith—for the victim’s cousin.
The account of the gang rape was drawn from police reports, depositions, secret grand jury transcripts and trial transcripts. All four accused players gave statements to law enforcement. We had access to those statements. Additionally, Karland Bennett provided a lengthy interview to prosecutors. We obtained a transcript of that interview, as well as his testimony at trial.
Dialogue between the victim and the players is based on extensive interviews conducted during the criminal investigation, all of which were turned over to the authors. Statements attributed to Gary Crowton and assistant coach Mike Empey are taken from their depositions in the criminal case.
The medical evidence pertaining to the victim’s injuries, as well as her medical history, comes from the grand jury proceedings. The authors were given access to transcripts from the entire grand jury proceeding.
In all, we reviewed roughly a thousand pages of court and police records from the rape case.
B. J. Mathis and Ibrahim Rashada declined to be interviewed. Karland Bennett was in prison while this book was being written.
The statistics on sexual assault among college athletes, as well as the arrest and conviction rates for athletes accused of sexual assault, were taken from the following studies, for which one of the authors of this book was a lead researcher, and publications, written or co-written by an author of this book: Jeff Benedict, Public Heroes, Private Felons: Athletes and Crimes Against Women (Boston: Northeastern University Press, 1997); Jeff Benedict, Athletes and Acquaintance Rape (Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Sage Publications, 1998); Todd Crosset, Jeff Benedict and Mark McDonald, “Male Student-Athletes Reported for Sexual Assault: A Survey of Campus Police Departments and Judicial Affairs Offices,” Journal of Sports & Social Issues 19, no. 2 (1995); Jeff Benedict and Alan Klein, “Arrest and Conviction Rates for Athletes Accused of Sexual Assault,” Sociology of Sport Journal 14, no. 1 (1997).
Quotations from the press conference where Gary Crowton resigned were taken from a transcript of his remarks. Quotations from criminal defense attorney Jere Reneer and B. J. Mathis’s grandmother following the verdict were obtained from published reports in the Salt Lake Tribune and the Deseret News.
The information about Karland Bennett’s criminal record in Texas and his incarceration for murder was obtained through interviews with law enforcement and court officers in Dallas, as well as court and police records obtained through the police department in Richardson, Texas, and the courts in Dallas.
6. THE COACH: Part II, Terminated
The following individuals were interviewed for this chapter: Mike Leach, Sharon Leach, Ruffin McNeill, Craig James, Ted Liggett, Kent Hance, Guy Bailey, Victor Mellinger and one court official in Lubbock who asked not to be identified.
Texas Tech officials would not allow us to speak with trainers Mark “Buzz” C
hisum and Steve Pincock. However, Tech did provide us with sworn affidavits from both trainers. The dialogue attributed to both men comes largely from their sworn affidavits, which we also relied on for some of the detailed descriptions of Adam James’s concussion symptoms. Tech also provided us with affidavits from team physician Dr. Michael Phy.
Dialogue between Mike Leach and Kent Hance comes from interviews with both men, as well as their depositions. Dialogue between Craig James and Kent Hance comes from interviews with both men, along with their depositions. Dialogue between Craig James and his wife comes from our interview with Craig James.
Dialogue between Adam and Craig James—via text message and otherwise—comes from our interview with Craig James, as well as court records that included their phone records.
The description of the storage shed where Adam James was put comes from court filings and video footage of the interior and exterior from local TV affiliates.
The scene at the Belo Mansion & Pavilion comes from an interview with Kent Hance.
The description and dialogue from the meeting involving Mike Leach, Ted Liggett, Guy Bailey and Gerald Myers are based on interviews with Leach, Liggett and Bailey.
The description and dialogue from the meeting held in Judge Sowder’s chambers are based on interviews with three individuals who were present.
Charlotte Bingham’s actions and her report were taken from court filings. We obtained copies of Mike Leach’s employment contract at Texas Tech; a letter sent to Mike Leach by Gerald Myers and Guy Bailey on December 28, 2009; and Leach’s termination letter signed by Guy Bailey on December 30, 2009, as well as a transcript of Bingham’s voice mail to Ted Liggett (provided by Liggett’s law office).
The authors also had access to e-mails and text messages to and from Texas Tech trustees Larry Anders and Jerry Turner.
In all, we reviewed close to a thousand pages of court documents from Mike Leach v. Texas Tech University, filed in the Ninety-ninth District Court in Lubbock County, Texas.
Reporting on Mike Borich’s degenerative brain disease was based on two reports issued by the Boston University School of Medicine available at http://www.bu.edu/cste/news/press-releases/october-22-2009/ and http://www.bu.edu/cste/case-studies/mike-borich/. Additional information about Borich’s death was obtained from his obituary published in the Deseret News on February 11, 2009, at http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/deseretnews/.
We also relied on: Alan Schwarz, “Concussion Trauma Risk Seen in Amateur Athlete,” New York Times, October 22, 2009; Joe Schad, “Leach Suspended After Player Complaint,” ESPN.com, December 28, 2009; and “Statement from Texas Tech on Suspension of Football Coach Mike Leach,” http://today.ttu.edu/2009/12/statement-from-texas-tech-on-suspension-of-football-coach-mike-leach/.
Descriptions of the reaction to Leach’s firing were based on reports in the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, http://lubbockonline.com/stories/123009/upd_541069858.shtml.
7. THE SACRIFICIAL LAMB: Towson University plays with the big boys
The portrait of Towson University football and its “business trip” to play LSU on Saturday, September 29, 2012, was the result of the gracious invitation from then athletic director Michael P. Waddell and associate athletic director Devin Crosby (now at Kent State University) to accompany the Tigers to Baton Rouge as part of a 60 Minutes piece on college football.
Every on- and off-field scene and all the dialogue depicted in the chapter were personally witnessed and recorded by one of the authors.
Multiple interviews with Waddell put Towson’s athletic goals into perspective, as did an interview with David H. Nevins on the team charter. Discussions with Fran S. Soistman, executive vice president of Jessamine Healthcare, and Ross V. Cappuzzo, president of Genesis Eyewear, helped frame the significance of the LSU game to prominent Towson alumni.
Rob Ambrose’s personal and professional backstory—including the “Mama” story—was culled from several articles on the athletic department Web site and an interview with the coach.
LSU’s prospects for the 2013 NFL draft were the work of Mel Kiper on ESPN.com. The article questioning Towson’s decision to play LSU appeared in the Towerlight, the campus newspaper, on Thursday, September 27, 2012.
8. OHIO STATE V. MICHIGAN: The return of “The Senator”
The opening section of the chapter—set around the Ohio State–Michigan game—was based upon interviews for this work and the personal observations of James Oldham, a former reporter for the Lantern. The authors also conducted interviews with Tim Collins, Cayla Hellwarth and James Larcus.
All of the information quoted in the chapter was pulled from a wide variety of NCAA, public and internal records associated with the “tattoo-gate” scandal. These include: transcripts of NCAA interviews (Jim Tressel and Gene Smith), legal memos, extensive communications (letters) between Bobby DiGeronimo and Smith and e-mails, exhibits and other documents. This information was backed by published reports on Yahoo! Sports; detailed reporting by Tim May in the Columbus Dispatch; Zack Meissel and James Oldham at the Lantern; the New York Times; Sports Illustrated magazine (specifically, “The Fall of Jim Tressel,” by George Dohrmann with David Epstein); ESPN the Magazine; ESPN.com; press releases issued by the university’s in-house media relations department; and NCAA.org.
The Jim Tressel recorded interview with NCAA investigators took place on the Ohio State campus on February 8, 2011.
A request to interview Coach Tressel about his relationship with Bobby DiGeronimo and his experience at Ohio State was made via e-mail to the University of Akron athletic department on April 1, 2013. The following day Wayne Hill, the school’s associate vice president and chief marketing officer, e-mailed the authors stating Tressel had declined to participate.
Tressel’s Response to Notice of Allegations, Case Number M352, was offered by Gene A. Marsh and William H. King III of the Birmingham, Alabama, law firm of Light-foot, Franklin & White.
One of the authors attempted to speak with Chris Cicero. After a brief phone conversation on October 31, 2012, saying he would like to talk, Cicero declined to respond to further requests for comment. In a March 2011 interview with ESPN’s John Barr, Cicero said that in his mind “confidential” meant the media or the public; it was not his intention, he said, to stop Tressel from going to the school or proper authorities. “I wanted him to know that the kids had been hanging out with a person who was the subject of a federal investigation,” Cicero told Barr.
9. THE JANITOR: “I fix shit”
The dialogue and discussions depicted during the 2012 national convention of directors of football operations at the Omni Hotel in Fort Worth on May 8, 2012, were witnessed by one of the authors. Multiple follow-up e-mails and interviews with Matt Doyle of Stanford and Zachary Maurides, founder and head of accounts for Logistical Athletic Solutions, formed the basis of both men’s profiles.
Doyle’s “Duties and Responsibilities” and “A Day in the Life” were provided as attachments to e-mails in May 2012.
The return on investment analysis cited by Maurides was done by LAS in the fall of 2011 and reviewed and approved by Duke University.
The main interview with Cleve Bryant took place at the Four Seasons hotel in Austin, Texas, on October 4, 2011. Both authors were present and took extensive on-the-record notes. Subsequent attempts to follow up with Bryant, who said he was considering writing his own book, were met with limited success. Bryant’s background information was available online.
An interview was conducted with Bryant’s attorney, Tom Nesbitt. Attorney Gloria Allred declined our request for an interview.
Reporting by Steve Delsohn for ESPN’s Outside the Lines in September 2011 was critical in detailing the harassment charge by Rachel Arena against Bryant. Equally important was Delsohn’s September 15 story posted on ESPN.com in which Arena’s formal complaint is quoted at length. Articles in the Austin American-Statesman proved important as well, including “Football Aide Cleve Bryant Fighting Dismissal, Lawyer
Says” on June 23, 2011.
The three-page University of Texas “Summary of Investigation,” dated September 8, 2011, is cited and quoted extensively in this work. It was obtained through an Open Records request filed with the State of Texas. Attempts to obtain Rachel Arena’s formal complaint through the same office were resisted by the university’s chief legal counsel. According to June Harden, an assistant attorney general in the Open Records Division of the Attorney General’s Office, ESPN was able to obtain Arena’s complaint because at the time of its request the case was still ongoing and the Summary of Investigation had not been completed. Once it was, by law, the university said, Arena’s formal complaint was no longer available. The AG’s Office did not necessarily concur.
The University of Texas interview with Cleve Bryant took place in the law office of DeShazo & Nesbitt in Austin on November 3, 2010, and was part of the public record in the case. Bryant’s denial of the charges and his attorney Tom Nesbitt’s question about the availability of the texts are derived from that source. Follow-up e-mails were exchanged with Nesbitt, and interviews were subsequently conducted with his client’s approval.
10. REBUILDING A PROGRAM: “There is no gray with Bronco”
The following individuals were interviewed for this chapter: Bronco Mendenhall, Gary Crowton, Tom Holmoe, Kyle Whittingham, LaVell Edwards, Kyle Van Noy, Kelly Van Noy and McQueen High defensive coordinator Jim Snelling.
One of the authors spent many hours with Kyle Van Noy and Bronco Mendenhall, chronicling their relationship, starting with their initial encounter at a church building in Reno, Nevada. All of the dialogue between them in this chapter comes from interviews with them.
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