USF decides against admitting the former Florida State quarterback.
By BRIAN LANDMAN
Published August 7, 2003
Former Florida State quarterback Adrian McPherson will not resurrect his career or try to restore his reputation at his first choice of schools.
"USF has rejected him," McPherson's attorney, Grady Irvin Jr., said Wednesday. "It's a great disappointment and a great surprise to the McPherson family."
Bulls coach Jim Leavitt confirmed the school's decision but had nothing further to add.
Irvin said McPherson, who likely will have one year of eligibility left, will enroll at another school shortly.
He wouldn't name the institution that is a "plane ride away," but two Division I-AA schools, Tennessee State and Liberty, have requested McPherson's release from his last school, Murray State, in accordance with NCAA transfer rules. McPherson enrolled at the Division I-AA school in January and withdrew a couple of weeks later.
"We're not making any comments right now," McPherson's father, Floyd, said.
Tennessee State, a member of the Ohio Valley Conference with Murray State, is a historically black college in Nashville. The Tigers play their home games at the same stadium as the NFL's Titans.
Liberty coach Ken Karcher confirmed McPherson has expressed interest in his school, a member of the Big South and located in Lynchburg, Va., and he has obtained releases from FSU and Murray State.
"We are in the early, early stages of this dialogue," Karcher said.
But neither school is USF, a budding I-A program in McPherson's back yard.
"The family felt, as did I, that Adrian needed to be close to home," Irvin said. "Adrian will be a bit far from home, but the family is assured (school officials) will look after Adrian."
The first step for any school that accepts McPherson is asking the NCAA about his status. If the NCAA finds he gambled, as he was charged with doing via the Internet, it would suspend him for one year. After that, he could seek reinstatement. If, however, the NCAA finds he bet on FSU, alleged in a voluminous police report, the suspension would be permanent.
McPherson never admitted to gambling, and a trial ended with a hung jury. He subsequently pleaded no contest to multiple felony theft charges and the misdemeanor gambling charge. As part of a plea bargain, a formal finding of guilt on all charges was withheld.
Irvin said the NCAA asked the state attorney's office to force McPherson to talk to other student-athletes about gambling as a community service component, an indicator Irvin fears the NCAA has reached a conclusion about if his client placed bets.
Sitting out for a year as a transfer can't fulfill a gambling-related sanction, so McPherson would have used four of his allotted five years.
The McPhersons had numerous conversations with USF officials, including a sit-down a week ago.
"The McPhersons thought in South Florida that they had an institution and an athletic program that would serve Adrian's present needs (on and off the field) greatly," Irvin said.
"It was their understanding that a scholarship was being retained for Adrian. What went into the decision that was made apparently by Coach Leavitt and (athletic director) Lee Roy Selmon is unknown, but I respect their decision. They know how best to run their athletic program. But I would have loved to have seen him play in the Tampa Bay area as I think many other people would have."
McPherson, 20, the state's only prep Mr. Football and Mr. Basketball award winner out of Bradenton Southeast High, supplanted a struggling Chris Rix last season and won his first three starts.
But two days after going 8-for-20 for 80 yards in a 17-7 loss at North Carolina State on Nov. 23, McPherson was dismissed from the team amid rumors of a stolen $3,500 check.
- Times staff writer Pete Young contributed to this report.
