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
Follow me on Twitter @JeffSchultzAJC; friend me at Facebook.com/JeffSchultzAJC
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891 comments Add your comment
Bring Down The Banners
July 20th, 2011
10:38 am
CPJ looks like the love child of Susan Boyle and Liberace
Bring Down The Banners
July 20th, 2011
10:42 am
Too bad Thomas didn’t receive some free receiver gloves and some stickum.
Bring Down The Banners
July 20th, 2011
10:44 am
No ACC trophy + Orange Bowl Humiliation + Another loss to UGA = 2009 Epic Fail
Bring Down The Banners
July 20th, 2011
10:45 am
Oh I forgot + No (wait a minute bbbwwhhaahhhahahahahah) Heisman Trophy for Nesbitt
Ted t
July 20th, 2011
10:45 am
Good for Paul. I like CMR also, but Paul is not going to let the NCAA bully have its way. They need someone better to do their appeal versus their anemic reply to the NCAA.
Rodney Dangerfield
July 20th, 2011
10:46 am
Coach Johnson is freaking awesome! An investigator asked Coach Johnson if he was directing players to agents. LOL WTF. “Dude, I don’t even know what you are talking about” AWESOME ANSWER!!
Screw the NCAA and their selective punishment.
Rodney Dangerfield
July 20th, 2011
10:48 am
If they sat Bebe out of the UGA game, Tech might of won. Haha, jk.
Supersize that order, mutt
July 20th, 2011
10:56 am
Rodney, unfortunately, you’re probably correct.
Ramblin Man
July 20th, 2011
10:56 am
Some of you really need to learn reading comprehension skills. CPJ talked to Burnett, who was exonerated, not Thomas. Thomas was interviewed first so there is no way you can say anybody on the GT staff tainted that interview. By the way it is the worst interview I have ever seen. GT checked with the NCAA and was told they were cleared to play and to date there is zero concrete evidence to say anybody on that team took anything from an agent. I will agree that the water is dirty, but if the NCAA rules players eneligible for that then Cam Newton never should have taken the field. GT should be punished for what general counsel and DRad did, it is just to harsh a punishment as it stands now. Even if the title is still vacated the probation should be reduced. Time will tell what the NCAA will do to all the other programs out there, but in my humble opinion they have just further proven that they have no control and no checks and balance system.
Ramblin Man
July 20th, 2011
11:00 am
It also makes me laugh about the NCAA actually asking a coach if he is directing players to agents. WHY on earth would a coach direct his players to an agent? Excuse me sir but could you try and direct my best player(s) to the NFL early as I feel it would be best if they left early so I can try and replace them with somebody with little to name game experience.
Supersize that order, mutt
July 20th, 2011
11:01 am
It’s obvious that virtually nobody in here has a clue what a chop block is. Erk’s Eagles came close; Schmeckdawg got it. CPJ doesn’t use chop blocks, although Beamer at VT would disagree, and has. CPJ uses CUT blocks, which are 100% LEGAL. Tech has gotten penalized several times over the past 3 years for CHOP blocks, but with only 1 or 2 exceptions, those calls were wrong, and Beamer was wrong too.
Supersize that order, mutt
July 20th, 2011
11:04 am
Ramblin Man, did you read the transcript of that interview with Thomas. Anybody who thinks that was a “coached” interview is a damn fool. I agree with you that that was the worst interview ever.
Supersize that order, mutt
July 20th, 2011
11:14 am
For clarity, in the simplest terms possible…..A cut block (legal) is a below-the-waist block on the line. A chop block (illegal) is a below-the-waist block on the line while being blocked by someone else. The difference in the blocks are whether you are taking on someone at the same time. If you are being blocked and are cut by someone else, that’s a chop block.
Trojan
July 20th, 2011
11:17 am
The NCAA got stonewalled by someone at GT.
CFT: NCAA must address ESPN-Texas relationship | Referee - Bad Call!
July 20th, 2011
11:21 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.” [...]
Tech-nically Blonde
July 20th, 2011
11:32 am
Good Lord, it’s hard to tell whether any of these U(sic)GA fans went to school there or not. Sadly, their grammar skills are the same regardless.
SamJ
July 20th, 2011
11:35 am
You got to be kidding? Probation, I don’t see where they did anything wrong. The NCAA is a joke.
Get back to World of Warcraft, nerd
July 20th, 2011
11:36 am
Only thing worse than cheating is cheating and you still stink
How funny is that.
Tech should just embrace its Thug Cheating ways and call itself the “T”
Kind of like Miami calls itself the “U”
SamJ
July 20th, 2011
11:37 am
Dan should have told the coach. He was going to know that something was going on with his palyers being interviewed.
Get back to World of Warcraft, nerd
July 20th, 2011
11:39 am
Former Tech players grammar
Just heard they so called, “took our acc championship away,” dats funny..lol! Take something away from gladiator(ha), YEA RIGHT! All they can say is that they tried…
Sad.
Get back to World of Warcraft, nerd
July 20th, 2011
11:42 am
Dan should have told the coach
No he shouldn’t have. The NCAA explicitly told him not to and he did it anyway.
I guess the rules don’t apply to Tech ???
If manboobs would have found out on his own thats on him.
Ramblin Man
July 20th, 2011
11:48 am
SamJ,
That is one of my favorite parts about this. If I am reading it all correctly the NCAA comes in and interviews Thomas then says do not tell anybody. They return and interview up to eight more people, pulling players from practice to do so and in some way thought that the coach did not need to know and I assume that they believed the players would not talk amongst each other. What you gonna do the NCAA is ruining collge football and the owners/players are ruining the NFL. I will now be following Canadian and arena football as I have seen very little in the way of negative press on them eh.
PureEvil
July 20th, 2011
11:51 am
I guess since hear-say is enough to take a title from a team Auburn will have it’s BCS championship taken from them soon. I can’t stand the way the NCAA operates it’s a joke.
Get back to World of Warcraft, nerd
July 20th, 2011
11:52 am
I will now be following Canadian and arena football
That will be a step up from watching Tech. They have something called the forward pass in those leagues.
Tech-nically Blonde
July 20th, 2011
11:54 am
World of Warcraft, in true UGA fashion, you’ve mistaken poor spelling for poor grammar.
Here’s an example of both from (academically ineligible) U(sic)GA senior football player Caleb King:
“Somethings u cant control, and what seems bad right now might turn out good. Too [sic] all of my homeboyz hold UGA down don’t let them brake [sic] u…”
The fact that he was academically eligible for three years is truly sad. I guess he at least knew how many points a 3-point shot is worth.
Get back to World of Warcraft, nerd
July 20th, 2011
11:54 am
Its not all bad.
Just 1,453 days until you guys are off probation. Or 4 butt kickings by UGA.
Whichever you prefer.
Get back to World of Warcraft, nerd
July 20th, 2011
11:56 am
Just heard they so called, “took our acc championship away,”
That’s good grammar ???
Maybe at Tech.
Better watch out. Next probation you guys get is going to be really bad.
I wouldn’t lie to the NCAA again.
Death Penalty next time.
PureEvil
July 20th, 2011
11:57 am
Why can’t Tech be more like UGA? We never have members of our team getting into trouble!!!
okiewreck
July 20th, 2011
11:58 am
gotta like the coach.
Move out of your mom's basement, Redneck!
July 20th, 2011
12:01 pm
Grow up and find a job. Pleanty of GT grads are hiring right now!
Randy Rhino
July 20th, 2011
12:22 pm
Appeal the decision, then if no change, take the medicine and move on. Not really a bad deal, since there is not ban on post-season. GT needs to learn from this, the NCAA is the law, plain and simple and they are going to drop the hammer wherever they please.
Randy Rhino
July 20th, 2011
12:23 pm
Only one thing matters during a GT season, beating UGA….
Rufus
July 20th, 2011
12:29 pm
Could it be that the NCAA is trying to reassert its relevancy?
Get back to World of Warcraft, nerd
July 20th, 2011
12:29 pm
Only one thing matters during a GT season, beating UGA….
And yet it happens so rarely.
DawgsOnline » Take it like a man, Tech.
July 20th, 2011
12:29 pm
[...] becoming evident that the program just can’t let it go. And it’s evident that this attitude starts at the top. Paul Johnson right in this respect: no one can take the memories of the accomplishment away, [...]
Michael Allen
July 20th, 2011
12:32 pm
I am a Texas Longhorn and I have no vested interest in Tech football, but the NCAA is going over the top on this one. It is another example of the Gestapo tactics they use to intimidate players and programs. Show me the meat on this one.
Zac
July 20th, 2011
12:34 pm
@ World of Warcraft,
Can you give me one example where GT lied to the NCAA?
lolatyou
July 20th, 2011
12:37 pm
“Tide Rising” sounds like he is bitter that he got rejected from attending Georgia Tech and probably wound up working at McDonalds.
Get back to World of Warcraft, nerd
July 20th, 2011
12:41 pm
Can you give me one example where GT lied to the NCAA?
Yes. D Rad told the NCAA he would not tell CPJ and then he did.
That’s called lying. I know you are probably unfamiliar with that concept with your history of using ineligible players at tech.
Supersize that order, mutt
July 20th, 2011
12:47 pm
Warcraft, how do you know what DRad told the NCAA or anybody else? Were you there? Nothing in the transcripts I have read indicates that he said anything like that. And if you want lying, then how about the NCAA rep and the ACC rep who said the players were NOT ineligible. Now they turn around and penalize Tech for treating them as ineligible. Who’s lying there?
Supersize that order, mutt
July 20th, 2011
12:49 pm
I posted this yesterday, but it’s worth repeating —–
Imagine, if you will, the following scenario: Setting CPJ’s office, November, 2009 –
DRAD: Paul, BayBay and Derrick will not be able to play next week.
CPJ: Oh? Why is that? What happened?
DRAD: Paul, I can’t tell you. Just accept the fact that they can’t play.
CPJ: But are they sick, or has there been a death in their families?
DRAD: Paul, I can’t tell you. Just accept the fact that they can’t play.
CPJ: So they don’t even know about it yet, and I’m supposed to tell them.
DRAD: No, you can’t tell them. Just accept the fact that they can’t play.
CPJ: But what am I supposed to say to them?
DRAD: Paul, you can’t tell them anything. They and you just need to accept the fact that they can’t play
I guess this is what would have made the NCAA goon-squad happy. GIVE ME A BREAK !!!!
AGTFan53
July 20th, 2011
12:55 pm
You know I enjoy the “Good Old Fashioned Hate” as much as the next guy. Some of you take it too far. Last year, when AJ Green was in trouble for what was actually a more serious offense, I teased some, but I thought the NCAA over-reached. No, if UGA was being screwed this way, I’d be equally pissed at the NCAA. And yes, Big Macon DAWG, UGA is number one in the state until someone beats them on the field.. Yes, ‘repeat offenders’, “Arrogance, disergard for teh rules and stupidity turned a secondary violation into r years probation.” However the guilty party is the NCAA and a certain UNC graduate investigator with a thin skin.
Trojan
July 20th, 2011
12:57 pm
CPJ’s arrogance is probably what got GT the probation. Why is he so arrogant?
Zac
July 20th, 2011
1:01 pm
@ Get back to World of Warcraft, nerd
First of all the NCAA investigator requested that D Rad not tell anybody besides the President, he (D Rad) never said he would or he wouldn’t. Also there is no NCAA bylaw that doesn’t allow him to inform CPJ. Also if you look at the report nobody was declared ineligible because no direct or indirect link could be established to the clothing Thomas received and an Agent. Furthermore Bennett had bank statements that showed the cell phone was paid by his parents.
Supersize that order, mutt
July 20th, 2011
1:01 pm
Trojan, CPJ had nothing to do with the probation. It all lies at DRAD’s feet. As far as CPJ being arrogant, if you are a mutt fan, then I bet you LOVED Erk Russell, and yet he was the most arrogant coach ever. The GA Southern fans love him too, and CPJ is out of the same mold. You would probably kill to have a coach who is so outspoken
GT18YJ
July 20th, 2011
1:03 pm
Did St. Mark lie by telling the ncaa that he didn’t realize that allowing a recruit to practice with the team was against the rules? Either way, Richt is a liar or a moron for not knowing that rule.
Pitbull
July 20th, 2011
1:08 pm
That’s it Techies. Just keep hacking the NCAA off. Wave the red flag at the bull. The NCAa obviously has a long memory. And remember…
Georgia Tech needs college football a lot more than college football needs Georgia Tech.
billdawg
July 20th, 2011
1:08 pm
CPJ, tell it all, brother! NCAA, National Collegiate Arrogant Ass., does go in for extremes, pat on the wrist for the favored, overkill for the unloved. That said, GT needs to look at their athletic administration beyond the coaching staffs. ADDR is ultimately responsible for “misleading” the investigators and “hindering” their investigations. Can’t blame Dave Braneless for this one.
Gary
July 20th, 2011
1:08 pm
FYE – Your coach “out of context quotes”
“DUDE, I dont even know what you are talking about… If we were trying to cover the thing up, we would’ve just … maybe grab a guy where your not supposed to… Move the ball forward, move it back… we were trying to cover the thing up… they came in…seven or eight kids and they didn’t find what they were looking for…
its tought to take… you paid somebody, it would be easier to swallow… everybody does that… The NCAA can’t take away the memories or what happened… you’re punishing 115 guys who didn’t do anything but work their butt off…
CFT: Lineman wants release from USC | Illinois News
July 20th, 2011
1:14 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.” [...]