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
aon
July 19th, 2011
2:54 pm
TJ, I did not make myself clear – I will give you that much, doooofus! Read the ESPN article that goes into more detail and explains WHY this happened. The article on AJC did not include all of the details (selective editing, maybe?). Therefore, my statement – though not clear – that there is more to the story, is true.
http://espn.go.com/college-sports/story/_/id/6769894/ncaa-places-georgia-tech-yellow-jackets-four-years-probation
ToccoaDawg
July 19th, 2011
2:54 pm
If he doesnt cheat then why is his program on probation? Hey coach did the ncaa pull this out of the air? Maybe just maybe your techie arrogance had something to do with it.
Dawgdom
July 19th, 2011
2:54 pm
I would LOVE, LOVE, LOVE to run into this arrogant fool in public, and talk some smack to him, and watch him get irate and belligerent towards me.
I would gladly let him punch me without any offered retribution.
That would make one hell of an ajc story.
Trojan
July 19th, 2011
2:55 pm
I agree with PJ but atleast he can take comfort in knowing that Jeff Schultz is pulling for him and GT.
George Stein
July 19th, 2011
2:55 pm
Not quite as amusing as your misplaced comma, Smokey’s Bandit.
I
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Manager at Athens McDonalds
July 19th, 2011
2:55 pm
Smokey’s Bandit has been smoking some sweet stinky weed.
Links at Lunch: NCAA Collecting Bodies, Red with Envy for EWU « Saturday Blitz | College Football Insight, Interviews and Analysis
July 19th, 2011
2:55 pm
[...] Among those the NCAA has targeted is Georgia Tech, and Wreck head coach Paul Johnson doesn’t take kindly to it (via Jeff Schultz, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution) [...]
Mr Charlie
July 19th, 2011
2:56 pm
Cheaters, hahahahahaa
GeoffDawg
July 19th, 2011
2:56 pm
George Stein – I’m not saying the punishment fits the crime which it doesn’t and I’m not saying that I’m comfortable with punishing appearances, which I’m not. The point is though that you hinder or give the appearance of hindering an NCAA investigator by not complying with their requests at your own peril. What they got is not fair but it is predictable. Maybe not to this extent but surely they would have to know there would be some blowback for ignoring their instructions. If they didn’t know, then the question become why didn’t they know which raises the point on whether or not tech has competent people in place to deal with compliance.
From personal experience, I’ve been working in the pharma industry for the last twelve years dealing with the FDA and if my company just blatantly ignored instructions given by an inspector trying to conduct an audit, boy-howdy, you better believe there’d be some hell to pay.
James
July 19th, 2011
2:56 pm
PR- clueless
65dawg – clueless
dawgspeare – probably truly represents UGA well
SW Brown
July 19th, 2011
2:56 pm
The NCAA can ‘find’ $312 worth of clothes, but can’t connect MSU or AU to Rev. Newton.
George Stein
July 19th, 2011
2:56 pm
Please enlighten us all on what Johnson did wrong, Toccoa.
Woof Woof
July 19th, 2011
2:57 pm
Cheater !
42-34 Dawgs All Year Long
July 19th, 2011
2:57 pm
Paul Johnson is scum, a low class cover-up artist that is pi$$ed off at life.
You STILL got bigger fish to fry Paul?
Bobby Walden
July 19th, 2011
2:58 pm
BFH, whiny old man. Go lick Gerge O’Leery’s crooked butt.
JB
July 19th, 2011
2:58 pm
Johnson has the personality to get the last word in.
James
July 19th, 2011
2:59 pm
42-34 Dawgs All Year Long – you started drinking way too early
GT-Jake
July 19th, 2011
2:59 pm
@Habersham DAWG
Thanks!
Damn good county!
JB
July 19th, 2011
2:59 pm
Tech got one year for the infraction and 3 more years for giving the bird.
Hershel Walker
July 19th, 2011
2:59 pm
Which one of my multiple personalities won the Heisman?
Harvey D. Pooka
July 19th, 2011
3:00 pm
Ladies and gentlemen; boys and girls; children of all ages (and administraters): it just might be time that somebody stands up and fights back against the NCAA. They won’t work on legitimate issues and concerns but will show their “strength” in such an arm-twisting, thug nature?!
I say: “hot damn! Yabba Dabba Do! Good for Coach, now let’s all stand with him, shoulder to shoulder, in show of unity and prevent this garbage from happening again.
UGA_2001
July 19th, 2011
3:00 pm
Typical arrogant tech douchebag.
Same school with the player caught with pounds of marijuana who played the following game, the same school with the cheating scandal, same school playing ineligible players.
Just because you’re a bunch of nerds, doesn’t mean you don’t cheat.
Former UGAy Coach Jim Donnan
July 19th, 2011
3:00 pm
Fran Tarkenton said I would get away with this $hit, no problem…
George Stein
July 19th, 2011
3:00 pm
But the issue then becomes whether they actually find anything in the audit, GeoffDawg. In Tech’s case, it’s not clear they did.
I am also amused by the fact that the NCAA (and apparently Tue feds) expects institutions not to be adversarial. Tech tried that last time and we saw how that worked out.
BRW
July 19th, 2011
3:00 pm
And ToccoaDawg is ruining the name of my home town…..Gee thanks….
George Stein
July 19th, 2011
3:00 pm
But the issue then becomes whether they actually find anything in the audit, GeoffDawg. In Tech’s case, it’s not clear they did.
I am also amused by the fact that the NCAA (and apparently the feds) expects institutions not to be adversarial. Tech tried that last time and we saw how that worked out.
Vicki
July 19th, 2011
3:01 pm
Thank you Paul Johnson….it’s about time somebody spoke up about the NCAA. They let the criminals go, and try to look tough with colleges like Georgia Tech. Makes you wonder who at the NCAA is taking the $$$$ – Maybe we should have the NCAA investigated. I was at the ACC Championship game, and no matter what anyone says, we won – fairly!!! They cant change that….
What a moron
July 19th, 2011
3:01 pm
“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.”
So we are supposed to believe he won’t cheat as a coach when the most common excuse heard from cheaters is that everyone else is doing it. Very mature attitude taken by this clown.
gt11
July 19th, 2011
3:01 pm
pj is the man.
Hmmmm
July 19th, 2011
3:01 pm
JB writes:Tech ought to capitalize on this and have Probation night. Let everyone in the city jail fill up the stands for one on those Thursday games of theirs..Make them wear those black and white prison garb and really make a evening of it. I know most of those guys in lock up are familiar with the Campus.
JB that would be an excellent idea but I don’t think Tech’s stadium is big enough to hold all of your current, ex players and ADs. Even the Hedges might have a hard time holding them all.
Tech Tard
July 19th, 2011
3:01 pm
St Richt
Would you consider PJ’s actions a MORAL VICTORY? HA!
Buckeye
July 19th, 2011
3:01 pm
If this is what happened to Tech over $312 and the AD talking to his coach what awaits Ohio State–Death Penalty?
BRW
July 19th, 2011
3:02 pm
UGA_2001, Would you graduate already?????? My cows need milking…..
Gary Busey
July 19th, 2011
3:02 pm
All you UGA football players better start wearing a helmet on those scooters, else you’ll end up on Celebrity Re-Hab with a chronic head injury like me.
Melinda
July 19th, 2011
3:02 pm
ROFL, I hate to inform you of the truth, but the former Georgia Southern coach you are thinking of made a pitstop between his Auburn days and his Georgia Southern days at none other than Georgia. He was the DC during the championship run.
I think we all know that if they want to put Tech on probation for this, they might as well put all teams in Division I-A (or whatever the hell we’re supposed to call it now) on probation. It is happening at every school. If he HONESTLY believed his players were telling the truth, what kind of a person would you have thought him to be if he had denied them the opportunity to play in some of the biggest games of their lives just to cover his own butt? I
The NCAA can TELL Auburn how to cheat, can let Ohio State players play in a bowl game while under investigation for worse, can’t keep an eye on John Blake at UNC who has a 25 year reputation as a cheater… and they bring the hammer down over THIS? What a joke. No wonder they are ineffective, incompetent and can’t figure out how to implement an 8-game playoff system.
Sarah McLachlin
July 19th, 2011
3:02 pm
Hey Dawg Fans!!!!!!
Stop being mean to those wittle yellow jackets and support my new campaign…….
Here are more details……. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yerKM6YWu0k
BehindEnemyLines
July 19th, 2011
3:03 pm
The more I see & hear, the more I become convinced that it’s time for CPJ to go. He’s shown no ability to recruit, judge talent, or manage his staff. Apparently he also doesn’t know when to shut the hell up nor have enough sense to understand what (pretty obviously) was screwed up here.
JB
July 19th, 2011
3:04 pm
I bet Schultz is laughing………We’re like a bunch of old dogs laying on a porch waiting for someone to throw a bone in the yard….LOL
Manager at Athens McDonalds
July 19th, 2011
3:04 pm
UGA_2001 is about to graduate from urinal scrubbing to putting pickles on Quarter Pounders.
JB
July 19th, 2011
3:05 pm
@3:03………..more Tech folks than you know feel like that.
Somewhere over the Dwayne Bowe
July 19th, 2011
3:05 pm
If we come across as arrogant, UGA_2001, we apologize. It’s not our fault your IQ is stuck in the double digits.
Athens-Clarke County Sheriff
July 19th, 2011
3:05 pm
I make $125 every time I serve a warrant on a UGA football player. Have you seen my new Mercedes?
Tech on Probation....
July 19th, 2011
3:06 pm
PRICELESS
JB
July 19th, 2011
3:06 pm
McDonalds Manager……..you must be a Freshman………The working at McDonalds for Dawgs is on page one of everything and reason to hate Georgia manual…LOL
gbal
July 19th, 2011
3:07 pm
You know UGA once had a coach that just layed it out there too like PJ … called a spade a spade,… And I always liked his attitude too but it got him fired for not playing the politics game… Who was this????
Sting Em
July 19th, 2011
3:07 pm
Smokey’s Bandit-What do Dawg fans call a GT Grad?……..Boss! The fact that the NCAA’s report found and included no proof of wrong doing on the players parts…………What should Coach Johnson and the Tech administration do? Lie down and take it? The issue is that Tech did not kowtow to the almighty NCAA and the egomaniacal investigators. It is high time that the all powerful NCAA be brought into check by it’s members. That includes you Dawg fans and…….This would be equally outrageous if this happened in Athens.
BehindEnemyLines
July 19th, 2011
3:07 pm
I eat my own poo
Coach Mark Richt
July 19th, 2011
3:07 pm
I would suspend Paul Johnson for the 1st quarter of the LA-Lafayette game if it were up to me.
Coach Grohbo
July 19th, 2011
3:08 pm
Ma Tech needs better lawyers.
This wouldn’t even be discussion if it were at an SEC school.
ChizHeads going down next....
July 19th, 2011
3:08 pm
Aub, Oh.St. next to go bye bye