Monday, February 04, 2008

Reno Gazette Journal: Web site: no offer made to Fernley lineman

This is a weird story.  Here’s the link.

By CHRIS GABEL

Less than 10 hours after Fernley offensive lineman Kevin Hart announced Friday in front of the entire student body he would be signing a letter of intent to play football at California, questions were raised about the validity of the commitment.  At issue is whether Cal or any other program has actually offered the 6-foot-5, 290-pound left guard a scholarship.

Reached Sunday, neither Hart’s father, Richard, nor Fernley coach Mark Hodges would confirm the status of any offers — Nevada, Illinois and Oklahoma State were said to be other finalists. Both men also declined to comment in depth on the entire situation because, as Hodges said, it is under “law enforcement investigation.”  Contact has already made with the Lyon County Sheriff’s Department and the NCAA, Hodges said. The LCSD could be reached for comment Sunday.

“This is involving law enforcement and may involve other departments, other than the NCAA, that are bigger than local,” Hodges, who has been in coaching for 20 years, said. “I would love to tell you everything I know, but I can’t at this time and I’m not even sure what I know.  “Up until the other night I was a happy man.”

Doubt started to set in about 9 p.m. Friday, 81/2 hours after Hart announced during a school assembly he would sign with Cal over Oregon on National Signing Day, which is Wednesday.  “The Cal staff has had no contact whatsoever with Coach Hodges or Hart, and that they have not visited him; nor has Hart been on a recruiting trip to any school,” recruiting Web site rivals.com reported.

College coaches are prohibited from commenting on a recruitable athlete, including to verify if an offer is on the table. Phone messages left for Cal co-offensive coordinator/offensive line coach Jim Michalczik on Saturday were not returned, nor was an e-mail to Michalczik, Cal head coach Jeff Tedford and two recruiting assistants.

The Rivals report differs significantly from statements Hart made Friday, including that he made an official visit to Oklahoma State the previous week.  “Coach Tedford and I talked a lot, and the fact that the head coach did most of the recruiting of me kind of gave me that real personal experience,” Hart said in meeting with the media that attended the announcement ceremony.

Hodges, Fernley athletic director Jay Salter and other district administrators were in meetings most of Saturday “peeling back the layers of the onion,” Hodges said.  “We have a young student-athlete and a program to protect,” Assistant Superintendent Teri White told Rivals. “Our investigation has just begun. There’s certainly no evidence that any school knew anything about this.”

If there is an offer out there, Hart would be the first Fernley athlete to receive a full scholarship to a Division I school directly out of high school.

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