College Football's Feel Good Story Of The Year

Two football players got second chances this week. For one player, it took four years and a gut-check for the second chance to happen, and for the other, it took three run-ins with the police to get his second chance. But the latter didn't have to wait four years, he only had to wait around four months.

Stephen Garcia was suspended this last March and was not supposed to be re-instated until August 15th. However, the University of South Carolina decided to make his reinstatement official today. Coincidentally, the Gamecocks' fall practice begins tomorrow.

The implications of this early re-entry are there. Spurrier may not like the prospect of using Beecher or Smelley, so it's time to bring in the very highly touted, but very naughty redshirt freshman quarterback, Stephen Garcia, for some quarterback competition.

When one has three run-ins with police, including keying a professor's car and mouthing off to a cop, you have to wonder just how much respect for authority he has. How much he cares about representing a school as a student-athlete, and how much discipline he has had in his young life.

Sure he's young, but three run-ins?

He got no jail time. He did, however, get slapped with missing fall camp- but guess what, now he gets to participate- and may even win the starting position even though he is allegedly listed as third in depth on the roster.

Did he learn anything? Maybe. Hopefully. Was the punishment appropriate? Probably not. What's the valuable lesson here?

The University of South Carolina appears to care more about its football team's record than it does about principles and its somewhat awkward position of having to be a mentor. They aren't the only ones, but other schools have handled similar situations better.

It would also be remiss to think that Spurrier didn't have a hand, or at least a finger, in this- he has been influential in getting admissions requirements tweaked and drug-test failures raised to a maximum that is completely laughable. Spurrier is the only one who benefits from this latest news. Garcia, some may say, also benefited, but that may be only short term, not long term.

Sure a coach has a responsibility to field the best team possible-but a university's reputation may diminish because of it. The best players on the team know this: "Coach needs me in the game at all costs." And apparently, they are being trained to learn that others will look the other way when they mess up. (And yes, when you are suspended for a certain time-period but reinstated in time for fall practice, that's looking the other way)

Did Ryan Perrilloux not teach them anything?

Contrast the Spurrier experiment with the possible feel good news of the year from Ole Miss.

Jerrell Powe, a highly touted Ed Orgeron five-star defensive linemen recruit, did not meet eligibility requirements to attend Ole Miss as a student-athlete in 2004. That's not a typo-we are still following a recruit from 2004.

According to various sources, he suffers from ADD and learning disabilities, and had spent 2005 at Hargrave Military Academy to try and qualify for Ole Miss.



He filed a lawsuit against the NCAA in 2006, and was eventually admitted to Ole Miss as a "partial qualifier" in 2007- he received athletic-based financial aid but could not play on the team. Nor could he practice with them. But he wouldn't give up.

"In August 2007, after getting a waiver to suit up and practice with the Rebels in fall camp, Powe was taken off the field by the NCAA," according to ESPN's Bruce Feldman. The NCAA apparently wanted Powe to focus on academics and prove he could handle a year of college. Powe completed 24 credits last fall at Ole Miss and appeared to have met NCAA eligibility requirements by maintaining a 2.31 GPA.

But the SEC still had to qualify him and so the agonizing wait would begin. SEC Commish Mike Slive made some ominous-sounding comments when he was asked about the Powe situation on July 23rd.

“Ole Miss has been very diligent in dealing with that issue," Slive said. "When they deem it appropriate to initiate further discussions, I will have those discussions. But at this point, I have no further comment. That’s all I’m going to say.”

Around 4 pm CST this Monday, Powe got the news he has been waiting for- he is on the football team. His reaction was probably relief, tears, happiness, and knowing he can overcome anything in his life.

"I just couldn't give up," he said. "I just couldn't. It's really because of the love I have to play in the SEC, and I just want to represent my home state. I mean, once you fall in love with something and set your mind on it, you just don't wanna give it up. And I could see it happening. I wanna come out of that tunnel and see that field. I wanna rub [the bust of] Chucky Mullins' head and I wanna put us back on the map."

Powe never gave up. He did everything that was asked of him and received the full support from Ole Miss. They didn't have to take a 21 year-old freshman back. But they did. His determination, grit, and finish-what-you-start attitude is what being a student-athlete is all about.

Houston Nutt, Ole Miss and the SEC should be commended for supporting him through his rough academic struggles. He's getting his shot, the school did the right thing, and this student-athlete can be a shining role-model for those around him.

Pay attention Mr. Garcia. You will be meeting Mr. Powe on October 4th, and we have a feeling he wants to send you a message. Up close and personal.






*special thanks to Bruce Feldman of ESPN.com for Powe quotes, and Scott Cacciola of the Memphis Commercial Appeal for the Slive quotes.