By Compiled from Times wires
Published August 20, 2003
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Former Florida State quarterback Adrian McPherson enrolled at Tennessee State. School officials accepted his admissions application Tuesday after he applied during late registration. Classes began at the 9,000-student university Monday.
School spokeswoman Phyllis Qualls-Brooks said McPherson will be a sophomore majoring in business. Last week, athletic director Teresa Phillips said the school would not allow McPherson to join the football program.
McPherson was sentenced to 30 months probation in July after pleading no contest to gambling and theft charges in Tallahassee.
ALABAMA STATE: Montgomery County Circuit Judge Tracey McCooey dismissed a suit filed by 15 players seeking reinstatement of coach L.C. Cole and assistant coach Johnnie Cole. The university fired the Coles and assistant Richard Freeman after concluding in an internal investigation they played ineligible players and paid strippers to entertain recruits.
LSU: Freshman receiver Amp Hill had surgery on his right knee and could miss the season. Coach Nick Saban said the goal is to have Hill, a highly recruited player from Jacksonville, start next year.
Basketball
BAYLOR: A judge in Chestertown, Md., agreed to keep a former player in jail up to 60 more days as prosecutors work to extradite him to Texas, but warned the defendant could "walk" if Texas fails to meet the deadline. Judge Floyd Parks did not set a new hearing date for Carlton Dotson, charged with killing former teammate Patrick Dennehy near Waco, Texas.
Meanwhile, Tom Stanton, who resigned this month as Baylor athletic director, will not remain until his replacement is hired. David Brooks, vice president for finance and administration, takes over until a permanent hiring. Stanton said the strain of the investigation into Dennehy's death, NCAA violations and coach Dave Bliss' attempted coverup of those violations pushed him to step down now.
MISSOURI: Boone County authorities gave the FBI more than two dozen hours of recorded jailhouse phone conversations of former player Ricky Clemons. The FBI declined comment. Clemons is serving a 60-day sentence after pleading guilty to false imprisonment of his former girlfriend.
The NCAA also is investigating allegations made by the former girlfriend, Jessica Bunge, that Clemons received cash and clothing and cheated on exams while playing for Missouri. Coach Quin Snyder acknowledged giving Clemons promotional clothing he planned to discard. Missouri officials have said that likely would be considered an NCAA infraction.
