The NCAA did something this week that it has been known to do: drop the ball. Student athletes are subject to rules in order to maintain their amateur status, which is logical. Oklahoma State wide receiver Dez Bryant has been declared ineligible not for doing anything that jeopardized his status, but rather, because he was less than truthful when cornered by an NCAA investigative team.
Bryant’s situation stems from a mid-summer interaction with Deion Sanders outside of Dallas, Texas. Bryant worked out with Sanders at an athletic facility, and then went to Sanders’ home in the evening for dinner. Although Sanders was known as a flashy guy during his playing days, his mentoring efforts for young athletes have been praised by individuals across the spectrum of sports.
When meeting with Marcus M. Wilson, the NCAA’s assistant director of agent, gambling and amateurism activities Bryant acknowledged meeting Sanders, but said he didn’t work out, also adding that while he went to Sanders’ residence, he didn’t eat.
At the risk of stating the obvious, I’ll say it: the truth is important. Being honest and forthright is one of the fundamental characteristics in all good people. Everyone makes mistakes, however, and Bryant’s only mistake was panicking. He should have been honest about his interaction with former NFL star Deion Sanders, having a home-cooked meal isn’t the least bit illegal. Dez Bryant is a can’t miss prospect, he’s got size, speed, and a knack for making the big catch. If the NCAA follows through with a season-long suspension, none of those things will matter and Bryant will lose millions of dollars. Ask any young person, and an honest one will tell you they’ve panicked in the face of adversity and told a lie or two. If there was a time for the NCAA to have a heart, it’s now.
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