UGA aware of accusations in Columbus that could affect eligibility of Jarvis Jones, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
A police investigation in Columbus has uncovered alleged illegal activity in the parks and recreation department there that may or may not affect the eligibility of Georgia football player Jarvis Jones and basketball signee Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.
The Columbus Ledger-Enquirer reported Sunday that an unauthorized bank account controlled by the parks director and one of his associates was used to pay for flights to and from Los Angeles for Jones while he was playing football for Southern Cal, and for the cell phone bill of Caldwell-Pope’s mother. Both Jones and Caldwell-Pope played AAU basketball for the Georgia Blazers, a “city-funded, Nike-sponsored” group overseen by parks director Tony Adams and Herman Porter.
Adams allegedly used the team’s credit card to pay for four flights for Jones to or from Los Angeles worth a total of $828 from June to October of 2009, according to the police investigation. Also, police allege Porter paid the $280 Verizon phone bill of Rhonda Caldwell in July of 2009 with some of the money coming out of the team’s account.
Eric Baumgartner, Georgia’s compliance director, told the Ledger-Enquirer, “I have not received or heard of anything” from the NCAA regarding the matter.
Reached Sunday, athletic association spokesman Claude Felton told the AJC, “We are aware of it and will do our due diligence in looking into the matter.”
Jones, a sophomore linebacker out of Carver High, transferred to UGA last year and is slated to start at outside linebacker this season. Caldwell-Pope, a five-star shooting guard, signed with the Bulldogs out of Greenville High last November and is scheduled to enroll at UGA this summer.
Whether or not this activity would affect either players’ eligibility at UGA is unclear. The newspaper cited a similar case with a Baylor basketball this past spring. Forward Perry Jones was declared ineligible after an investigation determined that, while he was in high school, an AAU coach provided his mother with three 15-day loans that did not total more than $1,000 and paid for the player to travel to a preseason pro football game in San Diego, which cost $4,100. Perry Jones was suspended from Baylor’s first-round Big 12 tournament game the first five games of the 2011-2012 season.
CLICK HERE to read the full report from the Ledger-Enquirer. Check back for further developments.
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
281 comments Add your comment
It Ain't Rocket Science
June 27th, 2011
10:01 am
Aprilglaspie,
It depends on how this director acquired those funds from the bank account. If he took those funds with the boards knowledge and knowingly put violated the law, then it could be called, embezzlement, fraud or theft.
JB
June 27th, 2011
10:10 am
yawn, Jarvis will be on the field against Boise. They are so bogged down with Ohio St., Auburn and North Carolina, this is chicken feed. No rules broken by UGA.
kevin
June 27th, 2011
10:14 am
People complain that the government is corrupt, but no organization is more corrupt than the NCAA. The NCAA is shameful.
GT BBall Fan
June 27th, 2011
10:18 am
Jan Kemp Lives! SEC’s motto – Let’s all cheat together!!!
partisay
June 27th, 2011
10:21 am
Yawn. It doesn’t matter if rules were broken by UGA. If the player broke the rules, they are ruled inelgible for a specific number of games. I’m sure that is why when schools recruit certain players, they ask them about their past to see if they have any of those issues on the table. If the kid lies about it and is caught later, then the school has to deal with signing a kid that was dishonest about an elgibility issue.
jimmy
June 27th, 2011
10:24 am
When will we ever learn? Stop recruiting South Georgia pulpwooders and look for players that have the ability to make it in the classroom as well as on the field. If you want universities to have pro football players then start paying them a salary plus expenses.
Kerryb
June 27th, 2011
10:29 am
How would a flight paid for by a parks and recreation director that has nothing to do with any college or college booster organization affect Jones’s eligibility? Was he a USC representative paying for him to go to USC? No. Was he a representative for some kind of agent? probably not. Did Jones have knowledge of where the money was coming from? Probably not. I mean this guy probably didn’t tell him,” I’m going to take some of this Nike money and pay for you to go to LA. So what does it mean? It means that they need to prosecute this man for using money for other purposes than it was suppose to be used and nothing else. Kinda of like Cecil Newton shopping his son around with him “not having any knowledge of it”.
AltamahaDawg
June 27th, 2011
10:36 am
Doesn’t matter if UGA did anything wrong. It’s a UGA game that gets forfeited if he plays and is found to have been retroactively suspended. Although I cannot imagine UGA/NCAA not being on the same page come Sept. 3 on this issue.
boots
June 27th, 2011
10:39 am
Cam’s dad did it.
hal combo
June 27th, 2011
10:44 am
You people are off the chain! You can blame Auburn and Cam and anyone else you want, but it’s obviously not making Georgia any better. Take care of your own business and maybe you’ll get your own National Championship. But don’t doubt for a second, AU will still have theirs:)
sr. citizen dawg
June 27th, 2011
10:57 am
“and there shall be wars and rumors of war”…………………does this stuff ever end ???????????
It Ain't Rocket Science
June 27th, 2011
10:57 am
If the UGA compliance dept. and CMR tie this whole mess into anything that could cause them problems, and they have to await a decision from the NCAA, this kid will not play. It is as simple as that. A.J. Green didn’t play until the NCAA handed down their ruling and he then missed 4 games. CMR will not let one player destroy or tarnish UGA. That is the difference between a lot of coach and UGA’s. Integrity still means something to this fine coach and person. Too bad, the haters are stupid enough to try and tie in UGA to something that was supposed to have happened two years ago, but for some, that is all they have to write about.
GO DAWGS
newnancoach
June 27th, 2011
11:01 am
the real issue here is simple, NONE of us know waht teh NCAA will do they have a history of random penalties and unrelated rulings. They have no real reasoning on their suspensions or punishments, just basically dole it out and force the school to deal with it. Simply put all we can all do unfortuantely is wait and see what the NCAA decides to do, if anything at all. Personally this seems to be a Coach situation and not a player issue, again who knows the randomness of the NCAA rulings are like the new tax codes
AltamahaDawg
June 27th, 2011
11:02 am
Yes Hal, along with the public perception, fair or not, that your team cheated to get it. So pardon us if we are all a bit less flippant than you about this sort of thing.
Buzzweiser
June 27th, 2011
11:15 am
Chip, will you ask the UGA Athletic Association if Herman Porter or Tony Adams are “boosters” under the NCAA’s guidelines?
Whiskey Breath
June 27th, 2011
11:15 am
The NCAA is going to have a problem with this. I know it would require effort, but Mark might want to check into this. Even if the coaching staff had nothing to do with it, paid players is against the rules.
Ask Reggie Bush. Free airline tickets, that is a problem.
AfghanHound
June 27th, 2011
11:16 am
If there were violations, then ajudicate
If there were violations, then deal with them judiciously. Don’t go overboard as has been done with UNC and Ohio State. Sanction the guilty parties accordingly, but don’t go over the top. UGa should not be under any scrutiny here. Just the providers and the receivers. The NCAA is becoming a Gestapo and we are letting them. Some fans even encourage them, particularly when they hate on the school that is being investigated.
Chip Towers
June 27th, 2011
11:19 am
Kerryb: If the NCAA deems it was done because of Jones’ athletic reputation it could affect his individual eligibility.
dogforlife
June 27th, 2011
11:24 am
St Richt and the other morons: Worst case, Ga loses two athletes who were slated to play big roles in their respective sports, best case the NCAA forbids any athlete wanting to go to an NCAA school from having contact with the two crap piles from Columbus Rec. Either way, there is no way, from the facts presented in this article, that GA faces any punishment. USC, maybe. It involves student athletes enrolled at UGA, not UGA.
tide roll
June 27th, 2011
11:33 am
Your problem regarding Jarvis Jones is Richt, McGarity, and Adams. They’re lazy. What’s the easiest decision and requires the least amount of effort for these guys? (especially McGarity) Ans.: Self impose some 5 game suspension when, with a little effort, the kid would be eligible. It’s not worth it to them. It takes too much effort. It’s not Jarvis, it’s not the NCAA, it’s not the facts of the case. It’s the work ethic,or lack thereof, at UGA!
newnancoach
June 27th, 2011
11:34 am
Chip what seems to be the thought coming from those in the loop in Athens? interested to see how this plays out.
so let me pose a question: College athlete from lower income back ground offered scholarship from a school well beyond driving range wants to visit that school, so local family friend, coach, etc.. with no ties in any way to that or any other school pays for the athlete to go with no motive other than just helping the kid out, did a violation occur? If so what is the viloation? Say i pay for a athlete a prepaid phone card to call home just as a friend, violation?
Cam $$
June 27th, 2011
11:38 am
Cam’s dad cecil took the big money, Cam knew about it—the ncaa couldn’t trace the money, so they dropped the investigation. Now, au fans claim there was no money paid while they celebrate their tainted title!! Amazing.
AltamahaDawg
June 27th, 2011
11:47 am
And the answer that shows the most work ethic is what?
Anti AAU
June 27th, 2011
11:47 am
I have seen only one comment about the harm/damage which the hire and pay AAU organization is causing High School Athletics. It was mainly causing harm to basketball but now we are seeing how it effect the other sports which multi talent athelete participate. NCAA has no say over AAU.
NCAA cops
June 27th, 2011
11:48 am
looks like those dawg fans that are always bringing up cam newton and anyone else’s problems with the ncaa got their own new troubles with the ncaa. Those who live in glass houses!
Anti AAU
June 27th, 2011
11:52 am
This has nothing to do with Auburn, UGA or Ga Tech commting violations but everything to do with how AAU is reshaping the land scape for college athletics.
ryan
June 27th, 2011
12:05 pm
I don’t see these players getting sever punishment most likely 2 or 3 game suspension i don’t see this hurting UGA because this happen way before they came to Athens and UGA already out in front of the situation and has contacted the NCAA .
Reagan
June 27th, 2011
12:05 pm
partisay, you’re an idiot. Let’s see…. Reagan actually turned the economy around for the largest surge of growth in American history; Obama, on the other hand, has just MAXED out our dificite –we are now having to PRINT more money. Hhhhmmmm…. Doesn’t take a Genious to figure out which way to grow the economy… just someone smarter than a liberal. Good day.
mistertee
June 27th, 2011
12:07 pm
Newnancoach, if you don’t understand why both your questions are violations, I certainly hope you are NOT a real coach.
If you accept a scholarship, which pays for your college “education” of around $150K, certainly you should be able to afford to pay a phone card to call home.
BTW people like you are part of the problem.
JD
June 27th, 2011
12:13 pm
Nothing to worry about here UGA fans; the national sports media is far too concerned with getting Ohio State the death penalty. Having that sweet contract with ESPN doesn’t hurt either. Go Dawgs! Woof woof woof….
Hoopster
June 27th, 2011
12:21 pm
It doesn’t matter if UGa was involved or not. These players received improper benefits directly and in-directly and their personal eligibility will be effected.
AltamahaDawg
June 27th, 2011
12:22 pm
He said, good day!
Anti AAU
June 27th, 2011
12:26 pm
exactly Hoopster:
As I have commented previously the problem is AAU and it’s coaches. This will only get worst.
UGAgirlFAN
June 27th, 2011
12:31 pm
Personally I think these people should, I have to sensor myself, go jump in a lake, you all know what I really want to say! UGA is constantly being scrutinized and I am just plain sick of it! Leave our Dawgs alone and go pick on another team for once, I am so tired of this! This could very well be our year, we recruited great this year and if we can pull off the first 2 wins that should boost the team’s confidence tremendously and shut some people up! I believe in UGA all the way , I bleed red and black no matter what the case- win, lose or tie!!! I am just sick of all of this crap- Let’s play some football and you guys back off and let us!
Billie Page
June 27th, 2011
12:31 pm
A pleasant guiding principle from the context seems assured as a comparable adjective.
Dawgs1
June 27th, 2011
12:32 pm
Amazing how adults misusing Parks & Rec funds suddenly is a non-story while 2 kids who didn’t receive tangible goods take the headlines. Jones was going to USC?! Pope’s mom’s cellphone. And Cam is ok?
BG
June 27th, 2011
12:32 pm
These guy’s need to talk to Cam’s people.
AltamahaDawg
June 27th, 2011
12:46 pm
Just find the camera and smile.
DC
June 27th, 2011
12:47 pm
what an idiot…money can be traced…
Bang My Head Against the Wall
June 27th, 2011
12:50 pm
The facts are these two kids violated NCAA minor rules. If they lie and are proven to lie, the hammer of the NCAA will fall unkindly on them. Just ask Dez Bryant. Since Cecil and Cam Newton have created this major blowup the NCAA is getting more than serious about taking benefits from others and now the players who are caught will be dealt with accordingly. No one is saying that UGA had any involvement with this, and it seems apparent that someone in Columbus may lose their job over this spectacle.
But for any fan of UGA or anyone else to think these two knuckleheads will not recieve some form of discipline is just not living in the 2011 version of the NCAA and the new guidelines they are placing in the world of collegiate sports.
Black Mountain Bulldog
June 27th, 2011
12:52 pm
Why would this affect their status at UGA. The School had nothing to do with this. I guess if they knowingly accepted money, but why are some schools constantly punished and others, ND, Oregon, UF allowed to get away, with stuff?
Wreckmaniac
June 27th, 2011
12:54 pm
Dawg Fan: Oregon has the most profitable athletic program in the NCAA and UGA is 10th. So where do you think your “tradition” ranks
Buzzweiser
June 27th, 2011
12:58 pm
Black Mountain Bulldog, what if Herman Porter or Tony Adams is considered a booster?
Coach BoBo
June 27th, 2011
12:59 pm
Still more character issues surrounding UGA…
terry lamb
June 27th, 2011
1:03 pm
From my understanding this has nothing to do with the NCAA. It all haoppened when they were in Highschool not College. Its not like they went on recruiting trips with this money. This bull.
Black Mountain Bulldog
June 27th, 2011
1:11 pm
Yeah, if I was a Georgia Booster: the first thing I would do is pay for tickets, for the player, to visit USC.
Anti AAU
June 27th, 2011
1:12 pm
This is common of any kid that has played on a traveling AAU team. Them and their families get paid by the AAU coaches via sponsors and college alumni boosters. Any athlete that has played for a traveling AAU team has been paid. As I have said before this every college program problem. Question is who/whom will do any about these AAU teams and coaches.
Poor Blackmountain Humper
June 27th, 2011
1:18 pm
Everybody is always picking on Hump U. Don’t you think it is about time that these “me” kids get punished? No one is saying that UGA did anything wrong, but if a stupid punk does something knowingly then he needs to sit where ever he transfers to.
WDE
June 27th, 2011
1:30 pm
@Coach BoBo hey crackhead..what exactly issues has either of these young men shown..while enrolled at UGA….please we are waiting.
Bang My Head Against the Wall
June 27th, 2011
1:41 pm
First things First. The NCAA does not care about the schools role in this. This is about NCAA eligiblity for the individual. If any player knowing takes benefits not afforded to others it is a violation of NCAA amateurism bylaws. It does not matter when or where it happened, if the student athlete has eligiblity it is effected and the player and or school has to file for re-instatement if the SEC finds the student athlete recieved these benefits. The difference between Cecil and Cam is Cam lied about what he knew, Auburn did not offer information and the paper trail has been flushed by Bobby Lowder. These kids will lose games, how many? Who knows, the NCAA is getting serious about these allegations and after Cam, Ohio St, USC, Oregon, you can bet your bottom dollar that other schools will bear the brunt of those skating by.