UGA’s Mark Richt should break the rules in the name of academics
The feel-good story of UGA’s 2009 recruiting class is Chris Burnette.
Richt should consider taking one NCAA secondary violation in the name of academics (AJC)
Not only is he one of the nation’s top-rated offensive linemen, he is also a valedictorian candidate at Troup High School. UGA coach Mark Richt told Burnette he was the first valedictorian he had ever recruited. He also said that if Burnette got to speak at graduation, that he would do his best to be there in person to hear it.
Richt’s vow earned Georgia, and college football in general, a wave of good publicity. Then the big and bad NCAA got in the way.
As it turned out, it would be against the rules for Richt to attend the celebration of his recruit’s academic achievements. Richt, being the nice guy he is, felt bad about not being permitted to go but said he would still listen to the speech via a videotaped copy.
That’s where things stand right now. And now is where I think Richt should consider taking a stand … in the name of academics. If Lane Kiffin is throwing around secondary violations like mulligans in golf (for example, talking about Bryce Brown on a radio show, and then still being able to sign BB), then Richt should consider taking one. And this one would be for all the right reasons.
The national headlines would read “SEC football coach gets in trouble for showing up at valedictorian ceremony for blue-chip recruit.” Wouldn’t that be nice for a change, rather than all the negative things happening in sports. As we know, much too often, the word “student” is rarely mentioned in student-athletes. If Mark Richt was ever going to intentionally take a secondary violation (nothing more than a slap on the wrist), then this would be the most perfect one.
You might even have other prospects dare to invite their future college coach to come to their graduations, too. The coach can tell the prospect, “Hey if you make the grades and earn valedictorian honors, then it’s a done deal. I’ll be there.” What a wonderful trend it would be to start. Maybe even the NCAA would come to its senses and write up a special exemption for this type of situation. You know, to encourage academic success among the high school athletes of all sports.
Chris Burnette
Would Richt consider breaking the rules? Highly unlikely. But maybe he’ll surprise us. Actually, Richt could attend Burnette’s graduation without breaking any rules. According to an expert on the NCAA rules, all Richt would need to do is request a special waiver, which would likely be granted.
Now an update on Burnette: The offensive lineman who has made nothing but A’s since kindergarten is down to his final five weeks of classes. He has a 5.12 GPA and is in the running with two others for the school’s No. 1 academic honor. Graduation is scheduled for May 23 at Troup.
“It’s still looking good,” Burnette told the AJC. “[School officials] told me either way, that I should be speaking at graduation. We’ll have the final results of everything sometime soon.”
“That would be really cool if Coach Richt could make it. But I know he has a lot going on. However, it meant the world to me and my family that he even considered coming that day. There were a lot of people around school getting excited about it.”
People should get excited about academic achievements. And anybody, whether they are a football coach, fireman or doctor, should be able to join in the excitement.
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
212 comments Add your comment
Oledawg
April 17th, 2009
1:23 pm
Bama Dawg(10:53)-You posted the facts for me. You bet, the idea that after he has been recruited, signed and you can’t begin your relationship with a student-athlete until after his graduation is nonsense. Honor this young man with your presence, Mark, even if he is second and may give a secondary speech. Magna cum laude or cum laude, it’s still an achievement of great work and endeavor. Many people look and see a very smart guy who achieves academic success easily. Not necessarily true at all. Most academic achievers do so through long labor, not through osmosis. He has achieved by hard work in the classroom and the playing field.
Carvell, you hit a big one with the suggestion that he go anyway. The agreeing SEC fans constitute a big bonus to your suggestion. I didn’t know so many cared. It speaks well for college football and the SEC. Now follow through and give it an insistent nudge.
Terry
April 17th, 2009
1:20 pm
Anyone who thinks that going to a better college makes you a superior, smarter, or classier person needs to have their head examined, our Government Leaders went to the best colleges in the country, Look what that’s done for our Country a National debt for future Generations to come, the school you go to does not make you superior,smarter,or classier, it just looks good on your resume, you will still be a A-hole or Good person. Think about it which one are you!
Maddog
April 17th, 2009
1:16 pm
GT EE Class of ‘93 – still perpetuating the “smarter athlete at Tech” myth? In December the AJC reported that Tech’s athletes on the average score 79 whole points higher than those at UGA. So when the average student-athlete scoring an 1100 on the SAT is “smart”, the average student-athlete scoring a 1021 is “dumb”. LOL. Only a fool would use the SAT to determine one’s intelligence.
By the way, since Tech supposedly only goes after the “smart” athletes, then plesae explain how is has been reported and discussed that Tech will begin going head to head with UGA for the top football talent in the state? As much as you wish you could, you can’t have it both ways.
Next myth?!?!
dawg fan
April 17th, 2009
1:15 pm
Its a sad day when a good article comes out and some tech fans like Ramble On and Moses find nothing better than to take shots at 18-20 year old kids. Regardless of what you think, the fact that a top tier football player at a Georgia High School has excelled in such at way that he is in the top 1, 2, or #3 academic standing in his class out of over 1,000 students is a significant accomplishment whether he is going to UGA, GT or Alabama or wherever. BTW,I have worked with several Tech alums (not for) who do not share your air of superiority but maybe they are the exception and not the rule.
matt
April 17th, 2009
1:13 pm
Richt has a great opportunity to do the right thing and set a great example. Hopefully he goes through with it and attends this young man’s graduation. Do the right thing coach.
Big B CH 99
April 17th, 2009
1:08 pm
I’m a Tech fan, and I think that this is one of the STUPIDEST NCAA rules there is, and they have plenty of them.
U have a true STUDENT-Athlete here ,that is not just a top notch football recruit but one of the top students at his H.S. And his future College Coach wants to go see him speak at Graduation. Exactly what is wrong w/ that??????????????????????????????????????
If I was CMR I would go anyways.
Reid in EAV
April 17th, 2009
1:06 pm
To the Kool-Aid drinking NCAA defenders: a $50,000-value in-kind compensation of college tuition, room and board for four years of (otherwise unpaid) work is hardly a fair trade, particularly considering the kind of revenue that’s generated by these kids for their programs, and considering that the programs themselves provide far less time for study than the average student has. (And no, I couldn’t even play a sport on the NAIA level, which is why it’s even more offensive that the NCAA takes the stellar athletes that populate D-1 sports and forbids them to do the normal things that minor-league/developmental athletes do, like take a paycheck and get paid for endorsements.)
At least in football, people keep taking this deal because the NCAA has enforced a monopoly on teh sport’s only viable minor league. But in basketball the super-talented play one year of college ball or skip it entirely—and baseball has its own minor-league system that renders college baseball as a route to the bigs, but hardly the only one.
With non-revenue sports like swimming, gymnastics and track, what the NCAA does is largely fine. The kids in those programs are true student-athletes (students first, athletes second), and, on balance, it costs their institutions to stage their sports. At least there, nobody is making large sums from what underpaid, exploited students are doing. But if you think that’s not what’s happening in college football, you’re dreaming.
(And hey, I’m a UGA fan — the current system pays large dividends to me as I go to games, buy merchandise and watch on TV, but in no way is it just.)
NCAASTINKS
April 17th, 2009
1:05 pm
As someone that played 3 sports for all 4 years of my college career under the NCAA I can say with an informed opinion that they are worthless. The NCAA needs to be retooled and reestablished to focus on the STUDENT-athlete. If it had not been for a strong love for the sports I played in college and for my college itself I would have stopped participating in varsity level sports after my freshman year. The NCAA is concerned ONLY about revenue, they have no concern about the STUDENTS.
KNelson
April 17th, 2009
1:00 pm
Good call on attending! Now for all of you fools wanting to bash UT. Do you remember Jason Respert who was recruited by Florida? Florida revoke the scholarship and he went to UT. He turned his life around and graduated , then went on to the NFL. Envy Envy Envy. CMR is a class act, the majority of his fans are sitting on their porch listening to banjo music!
murfdawg
April 17th, 2009
12:58 pm
Thanks for the article Mr. Carvell. I hope this is the only brush with NCAA violations we will have this year. Do you remember what Brian Bosworth called the NCAA? Sometning like National Communist Against Athletics. Some things never change.