Paul Johnson slams NCAA for Georgia Tech’s probation
Paul Johnson wasn't happy during Tech's probation news conference. He's still fuming. (Johnny Crawford/AJC)
Paul Johnson doesn’t cheat. Doesn’t like cheaters. Calls the suggestion that he would cheat “almost insulting.”
“I’m sure I cheated in board games,” the Georgia Tech coach said. “And when I played, yeah, you’d do stuff. Move the ball forward. Move it back. Kick it. Maybe grab a guy where you’re not supposed to. But heck, everybody does that.”
But not as a coach. It’s why Johnson took a verbal 2-by-4 to the NCAA’s Committee on Infractions. He says he did nothing wrong. He says the punishment slapped on Georgia Tech’s football program, including the forfeiture of the 2009 ACC championship, is wrong. He wants the school to appeal. That decision hasn’t been made yet, but the trophy has been removed from a case in the Edge Athletics Center and is sitting in an office closet.
At the very least, Johnson wants it known that the Yellow Jackets gained no competitive advantage before the conference title win over Clemson. Also, he’s not giving his ring back.
“I’m proud of what those guys did on the field — they won it on the field,” Johnson said. “The NCAA can’t take away the memories or what happened on the field. Let’s say somebody took something illegal. I’m still not convinced that happened, but let’s say it did. Well, you’re punishing 115 guys who didn’t do anything but work their butt off.”
Johnson said he’s still “stunned” by the NCAA’s actions. He never expected anything of significance would come of the investigation until, “They started ripping [former compliance director] Paul Parker in the hearing.”
He understood why the NCAA might be upset that athletic director Dan Radakovich informed him of the impending investigation after he been told not to, but said, “I knew there was no coverup. If we were trying to cover the thing up, we would’ve just said that Dan never told me anything. Their perception of what happened and my perception of what happened wasn’t close.”
Johnson’s perception: “That they came in here and talked to seven or eight kids and they didn’t find what they were looking for.
“I’ve been in this business a long time. You see all the things that are going on in college sports today, and you get slammed for this? I mean, come on now. I feel for Dan and [Tech president G.P. "Bud"] Peterson. I’ve known Dan since I got here. Dan Radakovich isn’t going to cheat or cover up anything. Did you get bad information or maybe make a bad decision? You can debate that. But I certainly wasn’t privy to any information we had.”
The Tech case will go down as one of the strangest in NCAA history. Investigators never found proof or established a paper trail indicating former players, specifically Demaryius Thomas and Morgan Burnett, received improper benefits from agents. But there was the suspicious matter of $312 worth of clothing given to Thomas. Radakovich also went against the NCAA’s mandate by forewarning Johnson (and indirectly players) of the investigation.
Any potential violations might’ve been secondary, but the NCAA didn’t like the way Tech acted during the investigation, perceiving administrators tried to hinder the process.
Johnson said, “We thought we were cooperating,” then pointed to a black book on his desk and added, “I guess if they say that book right there is red and you don’t agree, then you’re not cooperating.”
He named at least five Tech players who were interviewed during the bye week before the Georgia game — Thomas, Burnett, Derrick Morgan, Jonathan Dwyer and Cord Howard (as well as Morgan’s roommates) — and said they shuttled off and on the field during practice. Peterson, who was relying primarily on the advice of since-retired school counsel Randy Nordin, ultimately cleared Burnett and Thomas to play.
Johnson said an investigator also interviewed one of his assistant coaches.
“They tried to say that he [the assistant coach] was directing players to agents,” Johnson said. “He even asked me if I was directing players to agents. I told him, ‘Dude, I don’t even know what you’re talking about.’ ”
The assumption here is that the NCAA was not expecting a warm embrace. Maybe they’ve just got a thing about bluntness.
“If you went out and you did something to gain a competitive advantage, if you knew you cheated or you paid somebody, it might be easier to swallow,” Johnson said. “But when you don’t feel like you’ve done anything wrong, it’s tough to take.”
The one saving grace for Tech is that the NCAA didn’t take away scholarships or issue a postseason ban. Also, this whole ugly process and resulting anger might help Johnson’s cause in at least one area with his players.
“Motivation won’t be a problem,” he said.
By Jeff Schultz
♦
Earlier: Tuesday Countdown: Tech stashes ACC trophy; Ohio State’s really stiff ‘I’
Earlier: Georgia’s RB legacy takes another hit with suspension
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891 comments Add your comment
Andrew
July 19th, 2011
10:45 pm
Native to the ATL
July 19th, 2011
10:30 pm
Love all the dawg fan trailor-park brother-cousins gettin on the blog. Smoke break is over guys, clock back in and see about that clean-up on aisle 5.
Really? So what degree do you have? Whats your income? An oh thats right you dont shop at walmart
Jorg'e O'leary
July 19th, 2011
10:51 pm
So Andrew I guess everyone gets what they deserve .. like your dawgs laying down like a bunch of omega dawgs to an alpha male in your bowl game last year. You hang your hats on recruiting, but you got beat by a meaner, less talented, hungrier and better coached team. Embarrassed the SEC you did, but hell like everyone else who gets what they deserve you deserved it!
indianman
July 19th, 2011
10:52 pm
he just a soar loser
Hit A Single
July 19th, 2011
10:57 pm
College baseball is the one that the NCAA is screwing.
Jorg'e O'leary
July 19th, 2011
10:59 pm
I have a sore on my wing so I can’t soar…
Hit A Single
July 19th, 2011
11:02 pm
I don’t know who cheats more ,the Atlanta Public Schools, College football or College basketball.
CFT: OU TV channel not close to completion | Referee - Bad Call!
July 19th, 2011
11:17 pm
[...] “I’m proud of what those guys did on the field — they won it on the field,” Johnson said. “The NCAA can’t take away the memories or what happened on the field. Let’s say somebody took something illegal. I’m still not convinced that happened, but let’s say it did. Well, you’re punishing 115 guys who didn’t do anything but work their butt off.” [...]
FalconNation
July 19th, 2011
11:27 pm
65dawg. you shut up! GT didn’t do anything wrong. NCAA is just pissed about the whole OSU stuff and wants to flex their muscles. UGA better watch out. Compared to your prison institute, we’re saints!
Technically Speaking
July 19th, 2011
11:29 pm
Tech will bounce back from this, no biggie.
And come November we’ll take it to the Dawgs AGAIN! Just like we ALWAYS DO!
Every 7 or 8 years we whip those rednecks all over the field.
Just like Andrew @10:45 said, go back to your trailor puppies!!!!
sports
July 19th, 2011
11:32 pm
Oh! The warden’s upset at tech…hilariously.
wreckmaniac
July 19th, 2011
11:49 pm
As the days go by, this is beginning to sound more like a crock. And Ohio State, Auburn, and North Carolina are squeaky clean. Please explain.
But on the other hand , since the NCAA allows itself to be run by the BCS, we know they’re not running their own ship.
JacketNation
July 19th, 2011
11:51 pm
“Enoughalready” the difference between AJ and Tech is AJ was proven to have actually violated NCAA rules….Tech was found not to have violated ANY rules. The probation, etc is solely based on the fact that Tech didn’t show the investigrator the “love” and “respect” they think they deserve. Nothing similiar at all!
Surprise! Paul Johnson not happy with NCAA sanctions against Georgia Tech | Food Wine Lifestyle
July 20th, 2011
12:09 am
[...] “I’m proud of what those guys did on the field — they won it on the field,” Johnson said. “The NCAA can’t take away the memories or what happened on the field. Let’s say somebody took something illegal. I’m still not convinced that happened, but let’s say it did. Well, you’re punishing 115 guys who didn’t do anything but work their butt off.” [...]
RipK46
July 20th, 2011
12:35 am
@Vince: The real reason GT fan doesn’t play nice with UGA fan
It’s real simple Vince – why GT fans sooooo despise Joe Blow Bullpup fan. Growing up in the ATL and ever since I can remember at school, at church, hanging out with friends, one is easily inundated with all things Georgia. Since you have proven to be very good at counting, take this survey – look at how many stories there are on UGA in the AJC vs. that for Tech. This stems from UGA pumping out a bunch of Journalism majorsly whom invariably find themselves working for the newspaper. Continue the test and count the number of Georgia “G” license plates you see. There has always been a natural bias for Georgia and it is foolish to say otherwise. So when you wonder why GT fan has a hard time with UGA fan, just look how this is a story about Tech, yet there are a large number of UGA fans chiming in and giving their two cents. Gotta love this rivalry.
I like the fact that I don’t follow the herd. It’s easy to root for UGA – it’s the status quo for sure. I like the fact that I’m a Tech fan and I always will be. So when Tech wins Vince, GT fans can revel in the fact that they might just get Mr. Dawg fan to shut up – if only for a brief moment. Hope that clears it up for you.
m
July 20th, 2011
4:09 am
At the end of the day, Georgia fans earn about half of what Tech grads earn (not the other way around). And it bothers them. Call it arrogance but also call it reality
BravesFan79
July 20th, 2011
5:21 am
Yet another example of why College Football is the biggest Joke in all of sports. Over $300 bucks… really?? It will never be a real sport because of the NCAA and BCS are dumb as rocks. CPJ is a great coach. GT will always be ACC champs in my books.
Surprise! Paul Johnson not happy with NCAA sanctions against Georgia Tech | News Georgia
July 20th, 2011
5:26 am
[...] “I’m proud of what those guys did on the field — they won it on the field,” Johnson said. “The NCAA can’t take away the memories or what happened on the field. Let’s say somebody took something illegal. I’m still not convinced that happened, but let’s say it did. Well, you’re punishing 115 guys who didn’t do anything but work their butt off.” [...]
big time dawg
July 20th, 2011
5:36 am
I am a long time Dawg fan and Tech you got screwed big time!! Coach went too soft on the NCAA, he should have ripped their arrogant heads off in this interview. Good luck in ‘11
big time dawg
July 20th, 2011
5:39 am
Andrew, Jorge and RIP-class acts..Typical tech jerks who give GT a bad name.
Crimson Crush
July 20th, 2011
6:41 am
RipK46
July 20th, 2011
12:35 am
“I like the fact that I don’t follow the herd. It’s easy to root for UGA – it’s the status quo for sure.”
———————————————————————————————————————————–
Insert Bama for UGA and you just gave the silly azz reason most of the AU clan found themselves in a cult of the fambilly .
No good reason to support a loser program other than TRYING to be “different” . Like junkie looking piercings and tramp stamp tatoos … they don’t end up being “different” because their is a HUGE crowd of losers who think( and look) JUST LIKE THEM .
That would be all well and good IF the people who decide to identify with mediocrity didn’t then turn around and get p*ssed off that the program they “love” is primarily one built by losers , run by losers and cheered on by ….. losers .
Be glad that all the GT got was a slap on the wrist fine and was asked to return some trophy for “winning” a conference that isn’t worth bragging about being in to begin with .
Your ideological brethren at AsteriskU have bought themselves a mountain of trouble for a once in six decade shot for their loser fanbase to see what it feels like to win an NC … even temporarily … It won’t be long before you are looking back at what happened to GT and saying … “At least we didn’t get donkey punched like Auburn”
ban the NCAA
July 20th, 2011
6:53 am
Might it be time for a replacement college athletics association? The NCAA is out of touch, out of control, and maybe should simply be “out of it”.
Vince
July 20th, 2011
7:11 am
@ RIPK46
So, Tech fans are so over the top anti-Georgia (that they cannot even be civil to those of us you come on here to say Tech got screwed by the NCAA) because Georgia gets more press coverage and because there appear to be more UGA fans?
Yeah, that makes sense. I suppose it doesn’t matter that UGA is much larger than Tech.
Gee…..thanks for clearing that matter up. That’s so logical.
Thomas Brown
July 20th, 2011
7:27 am
1st Bedford, who got zero Division 1-A scholarships and plays in Spain, says that The NCAA cannot take away his memories; and, now today Paul – punch UGA fans in the face – Johnson says The NCAA cannot take away his memories either : News Flash Bubbas, your 2009 season is as Tainted a Season as ever. Get over it.
Erks Eagle
July 20th, 2011
7:38 am
I played for CPJ at Southern in mid 80’s. He’s the most down to earth person you will ever meet off the field. He talks to people like he’s known you for years like an uncle or something. On the field he’s a pit bull. He means what he says and will get in your face. Most of all he’s brutally honest. One thing he’s not is a cheater. Next to Erk he’s the best Coach I have ever played for. So for all you people insulting him when you have no clue what your talking about. Go back to your trailer and keep looking on Craigslist in the jobs section and maybe you will find employment and you can start helping your mother with the bills.
Thomas Brown
July 20th, 2011
7:47 am
Dear Eagle :
Paul – punch UGA fans in the face – Johnson, with the 1 horse pony offense best-suited for a division other than 1-A whose only weapon on offense is the illegal chop block in his high school offense, should have told Dan Radakovich that Dan cannot tell Paul about The NCAA investigation. Paul Johnson knows this. Therefore that is prima facia – cheating. He purposely told his players, then, in an attempt to cover-up. If Georgia tek appeals, the Committee on Infractions will absolutely put a show cause on Paul Johnson, and part of that will because he said today that The NCAA is punishing 115 players for what he, Paul, did. He and Dan Radakovich.
Georgia tek has always been sanctimonious in their comments about their wrong-doings and so as a direct result now, they are serving back-to-back repeat offender NCAA PROBATIONS in football.
Did you get that Mr. Eagle ?
tiger7_88
July 20th, 2011
7:52 am
Hilarious! It is apparent, reading through the comments to this blog entry, that Auburn has taken up permanent residence inside the athens dawgies heads! LOL! And I must say that is a stark, barren place in here!
tiger7_88
July 20th, 2011
8:01 am
@Vince (July 19th, 2011, 10:08 pm), I was at that Nov. 1986 “Nothing Stinks Like A Wet Dawg” game… if UGa fans had not been throwing cups and miniature liquor bottles FROM the stands at the security personnel on the field trying to stop UGa fans from digging up Jordan-Hare Stadium turf, the water would not have been directed in the stands. But after the first security person was down and bleeding from the head, your crowd got EXACTLY what it deserved after it was told repeatedly to (1) leave the field and (2) exit the stadium
When your people act out of control, they deservedly get hosed down. DEAL WITH IT.
There’s such a fine line between motivation and excuse. | Get The Picture
July 20th, 2011
8:08 am
[...] So if 2011 doesn’t prove to be the year when Paul Johnson gets his mojo back, how quickly do you figure the Tech faithful blame the NCAA for that? [...]
Erks Eagle
July 20th, 2011
8:08 am
You just proved to me you have no idea what your talking about. A chop block is a when a player lunges at another player below the knees and rolls up their legs on the ground. I know I practiced against it for 4 years. The blocking scheme they use is reach blocks and zone blocks where the blocker stays as low as he can without falling on the ground. If it was illegal they wouldnt get a play off because of the ref would call it every play. So now the refs are incompetent ? I have heard it for 25 years. Its just an excuse because its hard to defend. High School Offense? They won ACC with it. They beat Ga. with it. He beat Notre Dame with it at Navy. If its a high school offense what does say about the defenses he beat? “He purposely told his players”? Because you were there. What? WTF? How do you know? “Paul Johnson Knows this”? You dont know jack. Let me guess you know CPJ. You were right next to him during the whole time . Why would you make comments about something you know absolutely nothing about?
Erks Eagle
July 20th, 2011
8:08 am
Did you get that Thomas Brown?
John
July 20th, 2011
8:13 am
It is at the point with the NCAA that any coach or student should not talk to a NCAA without a lawyer representing them. The NCAA has completely lost any creditability and is more corrupt than the schools it investigates
JB
July 20th, 2011
8:28 am
I guess this makes the book” Clean old fashion hate obsolete” ?
MJC
July 20th, 2011
8:33 am
Dawg fans are delusional. “YOU WERE ALREADY ON PROBATION!!” Technically, we were not. We were still in the timeframe for repeat offender status, but we were no longer on probation.
“BUT, BUT YOU CHEATED!!” Well, if you read the NCAA’s report (which may be difficult for many of you) you will see that there isn’t any definitive evidence of anything. And even if there was, this wouldn’t be a cheating offense.
“BUT NERDSS!!” I’m sincerely sorry that the burger flipping machine took your job.
“MAN BOOBS IS A HYPOCRITE!!” Why are y’all so obsessed with a dude’s chest? That’s kind of a queer thing to be obsessed with, no?
dawgfan
July 20th, 2011
8:35 am
Paul- Take some ownership for your faults. Its not what the 1 person did, its what the coach, athletic director and president did or failed to do. Its like a person crying in prison saying its not fair. If you followed the rules and made the right choices this would have been taken care of quickly.
Georgia
July 20th, 2011
8:55 am
Of it gave them a competitive advantage.. their best offensive weapon at the time, without they dont win the ACC. The problem isnt the $312.. its the 2nd violation, their attitude, and they tried to hide it.
Animal Control
July 20th, 2011
9:01 am
Well, thank God for all the comments or I wouldnt know that UGA is the #1 school in the state. Hang on to that with all you’ve got pups because that’s all you have going for you at this point. You’re in the #1 conference in the nation and can barely beat Mississippi State. SO congratulations on beating the “sucky school on North Avenue”. All the inmates at Athens Correctional are really proud! I must say it is a bit refreshing to see smoething in the paper about GT instead of about what UGA has gotten into for the day.
Fred's view from the stands
July 20th, 2011
9:06 am
when the NCAA shows up; just fold and agree to whatever they say…..it’s like the IRS; it doesn’t matter if they are right or wrong; just be like LSU and get it over with as soon as possible….the NCAA is soooo bad for the game….teaching “our way or the highway” does not benefit anyone……
The AJC Stinks
July 20th, 2011
9:06 am
Failure to kiss the butt of the ncaa is not a crime, nor is exercising all a school or individual’s legal rights. May the ncaa fail, all its workers become unemployed and unemployable, and its management drop dead!
Carter
July 20th, 2011
9:07 am
CPJ and Yech deserve each other. Each behave like your typical liberal wingnut. Always bitter, always angry, always miserable, always pointing fingers at someone else, always passing blame, always making up excuses, the list of laughable negatives goes on and on.
This clown has his man thongs in a wad because he now has the most horrific bowl record a head coach can possibly have and his man bra no longer is able to contain his moobs.
Georgia Tech!!! The dirtiest program in the nation and proud of it!!!
Abolish the NCAA
July 20th, 2011
9:18 am
The football schools should form their own system rather than work on the NCAA plantation. I would like to see the sources of all money to the NCAA and an accounting of where it goes. These people are parasites living off the bodies of the coaches and athletes. It is time for the NCAA to be investigated by the people who provide their income.
DawginLex
July 20th, 2011
9:34 am
And folks say Tech can’t generate any blog hits.
Jeff, you have raised the bar!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Of course a lot of these comments are from folks who apparently just left the bar………………………….
just facts
July 20th, 2011
9:35 am
after reading most of these blogs, ROFL, whatever that is, wins the contest for stupidest posting. so what if Johnson came from auburn… seems lime the greatest dawg of all, Vince Dooley, came from Auburn.
and I agree with a previous poster… most of you wouldn’t know chop blocks from chop sticks.
it is just something you have heard about and it’s the trendy thing to say.
zincc
July 20th, 2011
9:35 am
Tech was wrong to let the players involved in the investigation play. Having said that, the NCAA is WAY WRONG in their punishment considering they decided SCAM NEWTON did nothing wrong and “didn’t know” anything that his “dad” had done on his behalf! Give me a break. Next you’ll be telling me that our country isn’t really in a recession/depression right now!
PTC DAWG
July 20th, 2011
9:45 am
So did they warn Fish Fry that certain players might very well be ineligible?
Did they tell your AD NOT to tell anyone about the Ncaa inquiry?
Did GT give one chit?
schmeckdawg
July 20th, 2011
9:51 am
Erks Eagle
July 20th, 2011
8:08 am
You just proved to me you have no idea what your talking about. A chop block is a when a player lunges at another player below the knees and rolls up their legs on the ground. I know I practiced against it for 4 years. The blocking scheme they use is reach blocks and zone blocks where the blocker stays as low as he can without falling on the ground. If it was illegal they wouldnt get a play off because of the ref would call it every play. So now the refs are incompetent ? I have heard it for 25 years. Its just an excuse because its hard to defend. High School Offense? They won ACC with it. They beat Ga. with it. He beat Notre Dame with it at Navy. If its a high school offense what does say about the defenses he beat? “He purposely told his players”? Because you were there. What? WTF? How do you know? “Paul Johnson Knows this”? You dont know jack. Let me guess you know CPJ. You were right next to him during the whole time . Why would you make comments about something you know absolutely nothing about?
@ Erks Eagle: Uh WRONG! A chop block is when one offensive lineman is engaged up high with a defensive lineman and another offensive lineman blocks him below the waist. Usually down around the knees.
the volJacket
July 20th, 2011
9:52 am
ok ROFL CPJ was at Auburn when they sucked ass and were the patsy for alabama. The man runs a offense that i dont carefor but his track record where ever he goes has been good!!!! To call him delusional is way to low. Ok clothes wow what a reason for stripping us of a conference title when you didnt find anything that gave us a atletic advatang the NCAA is pissed trying to shine light on someone other than their golden child the boring Ohio cheatting state prepschool
Andre "Pulpwood" Smith
July 20th, 2011
10:18 am
“At the very least, Johnson wants it known that the Yellow Jackets gained no competitive advantage before the conference title win over Clemson.”
Except that Thomas caught a 70-yard TD pass in a game Tech won by 5. You might’ve bothered asking him about that, Schultzy.
vince
July 20th, 2011
10:21 am
@Tiger7_88
Oh the legend continues to grow about the hosing down of the UGa students! Above all, I must admit you guys have more creativity than I thought!
Face it, Auburn was upset that UGA won and that their fans were daring to celebrate in the stands by singing their fight song….so you hosed ‘em. Nothing more, nothing less.
If everyone who says they attended that game REALLY attended it, it would have had the highest attendance of any sporting event in history.
Oh…and Fairley intentionally ground his facemask into the QB’s chin, speared him in the back after a play was over and started a fight because he “was chop blocked.” Right?
You guys are hysterical!
charliedawg
July 20th, 2011
10:36 am
Jeff, nice puff piece….you still have a little brown on your nose.
Bring Down The Banners
July 20th, 2011
10:37 am
and throw away your 2009 ACC champs gear