Sports Illustrated released the first section of its five-part story Tuesday concerning NCAA violations committed by Oklahoma State’s football program dating back to Les Miles’ tenure, which lasted from 2001 to 2004.
Several former Oklahoma State players acknowledged taking money and told SI reporters they were aware of teammates receiving cash payments ranging from $200 to $25,000 for star performers. These allotments were reportedly given out by boosters and even assistant coach Joe DeForest, who allegedly paid certain players according to their weekly performance.
“It was crazy,” Thomas Wright, who played defensive back for the Cowboys under Miles, told SI. “They were getting money like out of control. It was as clear as day.”
Efforts to reach LSU Athletic Director Joe Alleva for comment were unsuccessful. Sports Information Director Michael Bonnette told The Daily Reveille in a text message no statement would be released until all the reports have been read and reviewed. Miles is scheduled to meet with the media today after practice.
The article claimed Miles had a “hospitable approach” to boosters, allowing them on team flights and bus trips and in the locker room after games. SI also reported money was being distributed to high school athletes after verbal commitments to Oklahoma State.
Larry Porter, who coached with Miles in Stillwater, Okla., and at LSU until 2009, was also accused of giving money to players. DeForest and Porter, who is currently running backs coach at the University of Texas, both denied the claims made against them.
Seymore Shaw, an Oklahoma State running back during the Miles era, said Miles pointed him in the direction of Kay Norris, an Oklahoma State graduate who paid Shaw up to $700 for an hour’s worth of labor.
Other players mentioned John Talley, a booster who allegedly paid athletes exorbitant amounts of money for simple tasks or for jobs they didn’t even do. Talley claimed he paid players a reasonable hourly wage for work on his ranch but denied ever compensating a player for work he didn’t do.
In the wake of the allegations, many former players took to Twitter and the Oklahoma City airwaves to dispute the claims made by SI. Jamie Blatnick, a former defensive end for the Cowboys, tweeted, “I spent 5 years in Stillwater and never experienced any of these allegations… I’m interested to see who they got their information from.”
SI reported Tatum Bell, who played running back for Miles, denied the report that he accepted cash while in college. Bell adamantly responded to the accusations, calling the article false and claiming he was never even contacted by SI reporters.
The Oklahoma State Athletic Department did not rebut the claims, instead issuing a statement of grave concern regarding the violations. However, Miles denied all accusations made against him and his staff.
“I don’t know of any improprieties while I was coaching there,” Miles told reporters following the Tigers’ 56-17 win against UAB on Saturday. “We always did things right.”
Forthcoming segments of the SI series will cover allegations concerning athletes having schoolwork done for them, drug use and sale by players and the football program’s hostess group administering sexual favors to players.
“I don’t know of any improprieties while I was coaching there.”