Bomar, Quinn dismissed from OU football team

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By John Helsley and George Schroeder
Published: August 3, 2006

NORMAN - Rhett Bomar and J.D. Quinn were dismissed from the University of Oklahoma football team Wednesday after a school investigation determined they had been paid for hours they did not work at a Norman car dealership.

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Employment records revealed the players were clocked in during football practice, according to a source.

Last winter, OU officials investigated the employment of football players at Big Red Sports and Imports while focusing on tailback Adrian Peterson’s intended purchase of - and use of - a used, late-model Lexus. In each case, no NCAA rules violations were discovered.

But in recent weeks, officials conducted further investigation of the dealership’s employment of Bomar, the Sooners’ starting quarterback, and Quinn, an offensive lineman.

“What they were doing was clocking in and out,” said former Big Red general manager Brad McRae, who said he was unaware of it at the time. “They were clocking more hours than they were working.”

An athletic department source said the issue came to a boil in the last few days. Once the NCAA rules violations were confirmed, the dismissals came within 24 hours, the source said.

OU declared Bomar and Quinn ineligible for the 2006 season. In a statement issued Wednesday by OU, Sooners’ coach Bob Stoops said the dismissals were permanent.

Neither player was named by OU officials, who cited federal privacy legislation. But multiple sources confirmed their identities. And by midafternoon, the names of each had been deleted from the team’s online roster.

The action, which was announced the day players reported for the start of fall practice, left the Sooners’ season in a state of uncertainty.

Equally uncertain is the potential for NCAA penalties, including possible forfeiture of games last season.

Stoops was unavailable for further comment. But the university source said that no other players had been implicated, or are expected to be implicated.

“We spend a considerable amount of time addressing our players regarding their personal conduct and the NCAA rules,” Stoops said in the statement. “They know exactly what we expect from them. Ultimately, they have to make right decisions. The same holds true for our boosters. When they do not, the consequences are serious, and we will not tolerate this behavior.”

Neither Bomar nor Quinn answered calls placed to their cell phones. Messages went unreturned.

Jerry Bomar, Rhett’s father, declined comment Wednesday afternoon and said he had instructed his son not to talk to reporters.

“He’s not going to talk to anybody,” Jerry Bomar said. “There’s nothing to be said about this. It’s unfortunate. But I’m not going to comment.”

In the statement, OU officials said the NCAA rules violations occurred “over an extended period of time,” but did not specify when.

McRae, the former Big Red general manager, confirmed Bomar and Quinn had been employed at the dealership, though he said he wasn’t sure when they started. They were among as many as 20 to 25 OU football players involved in the last four years to wash and detail cars and to run errands.

“They work,” McRae said in an interview last April. “It wasn’t no great conspiracy where you come in and clock in and not work, or whatever.”

OU sources said in April and reaffirmed Wednesday that the initial investigation did not reveal NCAA rules violations. McRae, who was fired last winter for reasons he said were unrelated to the initial investigation, said Wednesday he “didn’t do anything wrong” and said he was unaware of any wrongdoing by Bomar and Quinn or any other football players.

McRae said the players did not receive cash payments for their work. He said he never saw paychecks that were inordinately large.

“They never got a big check from Big Red,” McRae said.

Although specific figures were not available, sources within and without the OU athletic department said contrary to some reports, the size of the payments was not exceptionally large.

But in a statement, Stoops decried the “intentional participation in and knowledge of the student athletes in these violations.”

Big Red Sports and Imports was sold last spring to David Hudiburg, who said Wednesday no OU athletes have been employed since then. Hudiburg and Jeff Atkins, his attorney, said he had cooperated with OU’s compliance department staff in gathering documents related to the employment of Bomar and Quinn.

“Everything they’ve asked us regarding employment with football players, we sent them everything we can,” said Atkins, who added the dealership had received several “hate calls” Wednesday after the news of the dismissals broke. “Obviously, we are trying to clarify and get out that we had nothing to do with this deal. It was the prior ownership.”

Mike Donohue, the former owner, could not be reached Wednesday for comment. No one answered at his house in Norman.

Although the NCAA rules violation were uncovered by an internal investigation, it is very likely the NCAA will conduct its own inquiry. OU’s athletic department is already on a two-year probation (through May 2008) for major rules violations committed by men’s basketball coaches

Although penalties were assessed, the school avoided the serious charge of “lack of institutional control.” But the NCAA Committee on Infractions does not take lightly further rules violations while a school is on probation.

In a statement, OU President David Boren said the school “will never compromise its high ethical standards or its integrity.” OU athletic director Joe Castiglione said OU’s athletes are educated on the NCAA rules.

“In the end, individuals must decide right and wrong for themselves and then live with the consequences,” Castiglione said. “Unfortunately, many more people who themselves play by the rules are also affected by these consequences.”

“I strongly support the decision of coach Stoops,” Boren said in the statement. “Coach Stoops has done the right thing. His action reflects the basic values of our University. ... We share the sadness about this situation with our fans and players who have followed the rules, but we believe in our program and in this team, which we know will carry on in the great Sooner tradition.”


 


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I think we should give Coach Blake the credit he deserves. He is an outstanding, well respected man that set a great example for his players, and expected good behavior from them in return, just like Stoops does. (I've always secretly believed that he was brought in to "clean up" the program.) He was responsible for some great recruiting, during a "re-building" of the team, but he didn't win the games that Stoops has consistently won. I will place Stoops above Blake as a coach any day, but, very few individuals rank as high as Blake as a man. BTW, do you remember how his players rallied behind him when he was released? They loved and respected him because he earned their love and respect. Stoops has done the same. We have had 2 extremely fine men as coaches, back to back.
Allison, Noble - Aug 7, 2006 at 6:16 pm
Roger, Keller - Aug 6, 2006 at 5:38 pm
Electric.
Watch what you say about Switzer. Allan told me there is an Arkansas mafia and Barry is the godfather. They'll get you man!!!! You'll be sleeping with the hogfish!!!
Roger, Keller - Aug 6, 2006 at 5:38 pm
Stoops won only because of Blake's recruits?!?!?!Ol' Allan probably thinks brown cows give only chocolate milk.I guess that's why Blake won all those titles before Stoops.I guess all those recruits graduated after the national title year, since we didn't win two or three in a row.PUT DOWN THE CRACK PIPE ALLAN!!!
Roger, Keller - Aug 6, 2006 at 5:35 pm
Brad McRae is working for Fowler Dodge. His house in Norman is on the market. Fowler Dodge is not sure when he(McRae) will be back to work. I hope they fire this sorry SOB. Maybe, he can get a job in Austin or Stalewater. It doesn't matter if BRS&I fired him(McRae) or not. BRS&I is a bad dealership with bad business practices.
j3lly, Boon Dock - Aug 3, 2006 at 10:20 pm
Todd you are onto something there. This may in fact be the biggest test that Coach Stoops has ever had. I'm not taking anything away from Paul Thompson. He is a very capable QB and leader. But put in this situation, where the starter is suddenly not there and to have to go to the bench maybe without a doubt the hardest thing a coach can do. If Paul turns out to not be the man, then maybe Joey can be. If I were Coach Stoops, I'd be scared silly right now. BOOMER SOONER
Jim, Collinsville - Aug 3, 2006 at 8:15 pm
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Let's go Sooners! Rally around the adversity. Sooner Fans lets support the team and Paul Thompson. There 10 other players on offense and they all will be sucessful. This will be Stoops is greatest year ever as we win the Big 12 and then into a BCS Bowl. This team will win and we have 80,000+ fans in Memorial Stadium to back them up on Saturday, plus the thousand of other fans suppport them. Get on the Bus because it is going to be a great ride.
Todd, Bentonville - Aug 3, 2006 at 7:56 pm
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Mr. McRae &/or the person you've identified as the GM who was fired must be one of the most incompetent persons I've read about in recent times. Doesn't know how much his salesmen make? Ha.. Ha..!!to that one. Doesn't know how much their checks were? Probably didn't know how much the cars he was by all accounts, responsible for over-seeing. I can certainly understand why he might be fired, but then, on the other-hand, it makes you wonder if they're not all in on it together, doesn't it. (Don't think I'll be buying my next car from them anyway).
Chris, Oklahoma City - Aug 3, 2006 at 7:51 pm
Maybe Rhett could look up Charles Thompson and get the name of that little school in Ohio or where ever it was that he ended up. Or maybe he could come down here to Mississippi and hang out with Marcus Dupree. Of course Marcus lives just up the road from me and if I ever saw Rhett I might have to give him Jason White's knee problems. Good luck Paul. We're behind you. BOOMER SOONER.
Jim, Collinsville - Aug 3, 2006 at 7:45 pm
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Hats off to Stoops! He had to make a very a difficult and agonizing decision!
jerry, Hephzibah - Aug 3, 2006 at 6:24 pm
thanks for a big letdown for this season
dale, waterloo - Aug 3, 2006 at 6:05 pm
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I thought this was funny. I just watched the "No Comment" video clip and it began with a Hudiburg Auto Group ad.
Joe, Meridian - Aug 3, 2006 at 4:50 pm
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j3lly - You need to get your facts straight. Brad McRae had already been fired and was no longer with BRS&I when David Hudiburg made that statement.
Brian, Pauls Valley - Aug 3, 2006 at 4:38 pm
I wouldn't boycott the dealership. Well, other than the fact that Kias suck! Remember back when BRSAI sold Jags and Beemers? Good times!
electric, Norman - Aug 3, 2006 at 4:10 pm
Sooners Fans should not forget the name of The Loud Mouth, Long-Hair, Teenage wanna bee) Brad McRae. He's playing the "I don't know" game. I guess he just signed the checks for Bomar.

Here's an interesting quote from David Hudiburg in the Journal Record on April 17, 2006. "Hudiburg said he expects no significant changes in Big Red operations: We like the name; they've got a great reputation; and he's got really good people in every aspect of the business, he said of the foundation Donohue laid. So we're just going to take his people and operate the store."

Good people? I guess they're good for clocking Bomar's time sheet while Bomar was at practice.

BOYCOTT Big Red Sports and Imports!
j3lly, Boon Dock - Aug 3, 2006 at 4:07 pm
Blake and Josh the Hoople - certainly not Stoop(id)s.
allan, oklahoma city - Aug 3, 2006 at 3:37 pm
Wow! That was a little scary there Allan. You really think that Blake deserves the credit for the 2000 NC? Even though few of his players made it to the NFL? And Switzer with Christian compassion? Compassion, yes. Christian, no. I like the King, and admire a lot of things about him. But your inflated sense of his value is a little bit displaced.
electric, Norman - Aug 3, 2006 at 3:35 pm
Go Paul Thompson! You're the man! We're behind you 100%!
electric, Norman - Aug 3, 2006 at 3:31 pm
I posted earlier today and when I came back I thought I was reading an Aggie message board. Let's revisit OU football. First, the only thing that is good enough is winning the national championship in an undefeated season where the team beats the spread every game and trounces both Tuck Fexas and the Aggies by 30 or fourty points - EVERY YEAR. Yes, I know that Switzer did not do that every year, but he came closer than anyone ELSE. Stoop(id)s never earned a national title, the only reasons that he ever was involved with a national championship team was that Blake was a great recruiter who left the cupboard fully stocked and the fact that Josh the Hoople had an outsized football EQ and was a "coach on the field" that could make critical plays in a severEly flawed offensive scheme that has caused everyone since to fall flat on his face during crunch time. If you do not believe the offensive scheme is fatally flawed, closed your eyes and remember all the times that hybel and snow white could not overcome a blitz attack. Stoop(id)s has been able to win the first 9 games against the sisters of the poor and then falls flat when the games matter and the opponent has a pulse. Let's just be thankful that Stoop(id)s has had the good fortune of coaching against Mack Brown, who may be the worst big game coach ever. (Yes, I know he won a national championsip last year after have the no 1 recruiting class for the last 15 years.) If OU ever aspires to win a national title, it must fire Stoop(id)s. Switzer's magic was simple, he, in an act of Christian compassion, reached out to children from disadvanted backgrounds and gave them the chance to earn a university degree when almost everyone else had given up on them and deemed them unworthy of a college education. The true genius of his method was that he teamed his players up with mentors, generally boosters, and made sure that they (the players and the boosters) had the self awareness to suceed suceed and avoid pitfalls that would bring them down. Stoop(id)s has not done that. Now we have to sweat out sanctions.
allan, oklahoma city - Aug 3, 2006 at 3:31 pm
Bomar and Quinn shared a title before the season starts - THIEVES. They stole money from Big Red for work not done, stole the possible success of fellow players on the team, stole the faith and trust of the coach staff, stole away the dreams of the team's sucess for the fellow students and the SOONERS fans around the world, including IRAQ. Amazing how young men in IRAQ are making life threatening decisions continuously and Bomar/Quinn can not make the proper decisions playing a game.
Herb, Choctaw - Aug 3, 2006 at 3:18 pm
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Jim Tressel comes to mind.....I don't know that OU had much room for error here with the NCAA. I hope that when the details come out, it's evident the University's actions were as swift and decisive as they currently appear.
electric, Norman - Aug 3, 2006 at 3:02 pm
OU can still have a great season without Bomar at QB. Peterson has an even better shot now at winning the Heisman since we’ll have to run more. The defense will still be above average. We’ll be all right. Beyond this, year is where it’ll hurt even more. In 2007 there’ll be no Bomar, no Peterson. If I was a top high school quarterback and wanted to play as a freshman at a Top 5 program, I’d go to OU! Stoops did the right thing the right way. I can think of a few other coaches who have handled similar situations differently.


mark, Edmond - Aug 3, 2006 at 2:47 pm
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Fiinally, someone chimed in on my comments of paying players (Jim, Ft. Worth). There are rules, but they have become antiquated and don't take into account that most kids parents can't send them anything. I remember when switzer gave a player a ticket home to see his sick mom and he was punished. Are you kidding. We let kids go straight to the NBA without going to college (a grave disservice) but we can't support the players who go to college
John, Friendswood - Aug 3, 2006 at 2:10 pm
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There was a time, when a player broke a rule, he would run stadium steps and devote more hours to film study. "Where have you gone Barry Switzer, a nation turns its lonely eyes to you..What's that you say Mrs. Robinson, Barry ball has left and gone away. We miss you Barry. Thanks for the memories
Richard, New York - Aug 3, 2006 at 2:06 pm
I applaud Coach Stoops, Castiglione, and Prez Boren for taking swift, decisive action in removing these two players. No player is bigger than the program, regardless of their status.
My only hope is that this is the end of it as far as implication of current or former players is concerned. I fully expect it to be dragged out by the NCAA over the next 2-3 years, unfortunately the wheels of beaurocracy turn slowly. The big down side is the pot shots by the media and other teams recruiting against the Sooners with the threat of sanctions looming overhead.
So kudos to the OU administration, "BOO!" to the players and boosters involved.
Now let's play some football!
Charles, Mount Juliet - Aug 3, 2006 at 1:54 pm

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