http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2009/feb/15/go-ahead-hum-this-trade/?partner=RSS Fancy seeing you here Just wondering when an SEC football coach is going to turn in Alabama coach Nick Saban on an apparent recruiting violation. Saban obtained a commitment from Mitchell receiver Keiwone Malone, a high school junior. The only problem is that other than a "bump" -- which is an accidental "hello, how are ya?"-- a coach can't have direct contact with a junior at the time that Saban did (before signing day for seniors on Feb. 4). That's a dead period (no contact) according to NCAA rules. Judging from the quotes given by Malone to the CA's Jason Smith, there was a face-to-face meeting and a selling job by Saban. Mitchell High didn't have any seniors that were being recruited by Saban, so his visit wasn't for that purpose. And it had to be more than a bump. When's the last time you heard a kid receive a scholarship offer and commit on a bump? The SEC office had no comment on the matter, other than to explain the bump rule. This wasn't a bump by the Sabanator. This was full-contact recruiting. ...
just waiting for the "oops, i had the date wrong" or some other backtracking. (not that i would believe the "oops".)
Fancy seeing you here That's not likely to result in any action because: and, http://www.tidesports.com/article/20070527/NEWS/705270462/1067/SPORTS0106 Actually the dead period is listed as Feb 2-5 although the article states that this kid gave his verbal ON the 5th. I'm going to guess it happens much more often than is reported. Sounds like Saban danced the line and will probably not get much flack....it's a secondary violation as it is. Besides, the entire SEC office staff is overworked with attending to Kiffin. :lol: As an added note, the bump rule was put in place BECAUSE of Saban. He didn't start all those spring visits just when he got to Bama.
http://blog.al.com/bamabeat/2009/02/tuscaloosa_keiwone_malones_hig.html\ According to Cole's account, Saban came to Mitchell to "see some film on people," and that Malone initially wasn't at the school during that time. Cole said he was walking Saban to his car when Malone drove up in the parking lot. http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2009/feb/06/prep-football-keiwone-malone-commits-alabama/ "I thought he was going to be a little taller. When he stepped out of the truck, he was so short to me, I just started laughing," said Malone, a 6-1, 165-pound junior standout who committed to Alabama on Thursday night. Was Saban walking to a car or getting out of a truck? Someone is confused.... http://blog.al.com/bamabeat/2009/02/tuscaloosa_keiwone_malones_hig.html "They didn't really talk," Cole told the Press-Register. "(Saban) said, 'Hey, how you doing?' and 'I can't talk to him right now.' Really, it was like, 'Hey, my name is Keiwone Malone, and that was it.'" http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2009/feb/06/prep-football-keiwone-malone-commits-alabama/ And when he started talking to me, I started liking the stuff that he was saying." Kid must be easily impressed http://blog.al.com/bamabeat/2009/02/tuscaloosa_keiwone_malones_hig.html My job is to get my kids into school, and that's what I'm trying to do. ... Cole would not say if additional colleges stopped in and spoke with Malone during the same period, Sometimes it best to stop before you dig a little too deep.
Bone quotes Jr. Harrison Jones saying that they came and got him out of class, Saban told him how they liked him, not to let Barrett Jones influence his choice, and offered him a scholarship in an article from Feb 12. Care to point out when this was permissible? During a NCAA-mandated "Quiet Period," in-person recruiting activity is limited to contact on campus, as part of an official or unofficial recruiting visit. A "Dead Period," as the name implies, is a time when nearly all recruiting activity is temporarily shut down. During a dead period, coaches cannot: Make in-person recruiting contacts Conduct in-person evaluations -- on or off-campus Schedule official campus visits Allow unofficial campus visits Offer complimentary tickets to games The only permissible communications during a dead period are phone calls (limited by NCAA regulations to one call per week) and correspondence. January 11 (Quiet Period) January 12-15 (Dead Period, though staff are allowed to have contact with recruits who have been admitted for mid-year enrollment) January 16-17 (Quiet Period) February 1 (Quiet Period) February 2-5: (Dead Period; Note: Feb. 4 is "signing day"—the first day that recruits can sign a National Letter of Intent for their school of choice.) February 6-April 14 (Quiet Period)
