In the wake of the serious allegations against the University of Miami by one time booster, Nevin Shapiro, new details are emerging on who some of the players were that received special benefits. If you have not read the story, I encourage you to take fifteen minutes of your time to do so.
For now, let's look at this list of players published by XTRA 910 and Yahoo! Sports. It contains a multitude of current NFL players that supposedly received benefits during their time at the U. You may (or may not) be surprised to find two very familiar names within the text.
Drafted in the first round by the Arizona Cardinals during the 2005 draft, Antrel Rolle could be getting a visit from NCAA investigators very soon. The Yahoo! Sports article continuously repeats Rolle's name in connection to Shapiro and the various "boosting" he was apart of.
Rolle was linked directly to Shapiro as the recipient of watches and other articles of clothing, along with cash gifts and paid trips to strip clubs and other various nightclubs.
In a recent interview, Antrel Rolle downplayed his involvement with these allegations, claiming that Shapiro is simply on a, "rampage to cause havoc." Rolle bolted for the New York Giants during the last off-season for a very lucrative contract, but there is also a current Cardinal that made the list as well.
Calais Campbell is also a former Hurricane and has some connection to the scandal that was recently uncovered. It does not say specifically what he received, but it really does not matter, as he was apart of it. Not only am I disappointed to hear this, but this could be bad news for the Cardinals if a proposed plan were to be enacted.
Mike Freeman from CBS Sports writes that players may have to start paying for their college mistakes even if they are long gone from the university. The NFL is in collaboration with the NFLPA and NCAA in an effort to start punishing players that are accused of breaking rules while they were at school.
If these new rules are passed, players could face heavy fines or even suspensions for their past mistakes. While the rule may or may not apply to players already in the NFL, it would certainly affect incoming athletes. Whatever the case, Calais' college reputation will certainly take a hit from this news.
The tipping point is near for college sports and the body that governs them. Let's just hope our favorite NFL team does not get caught up in it.