NCAA screws Iowa DE Drew Ott

Submitted by Michigan4Life on

NCAA didn't serve for the best interest of the student-athletes. Drew Ott, who was out for the season with an ACL tear, is a DE for Iowa and he applied for medical redshirt.  The NCAA took so long to make a decision that they finally ruled that he will not be granted a medical redshirt thus robbing him of a NFL draft prep work.  Now, Drew Ott has to apply for the NFL Supplemental Draft and hope that he'll stick with the team or he'll declare for the NFL draft and hope he'll get drafted.

Ott was off to a great start this past season with 5 sacks in the first 4 games before coming down with an ACL tear.  He might have played himself into a day 2 draft but now it appears that he'll be undrafted.  This sucks for Ott. 

Screw the NCAA for delaying the decision as long as possible.

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/15196015/iowa-drew-ott-head-nfl-draft-ncaa-denies-appeal

AVPBCI

April 13th, 2016 at 1:54 PM ^

Guess they were too busy thinking of the ingenius way to not screw North Carolina somehow when they have to announce the results of the academic fraud scandal. Or maybe the Satelitte camps and the back room prmosises made to get that decision passed. Or too busy to decide what to do with Ole Miss violations or Louissville and the prostitutes and hopw the 2 pump chump Pitino didn't know anything .

And of course, we still have no NCAA video games.

 

what a joke

CalifExile

April 13th, 2016 at 4:02 PM ^

The question is whether the NCAA had a duty to provide an earlier decision. If they breached a duty the plaintiff might recover damages. Just because someone does something that causes you a loss doesn't create a cause of action. If it were otherwise, I could sue you for not advising me to buy Apple stock just before it took off. You had no duty to do so, therefore, I have no cause of action against you.

bacon

April 13th, 2016 at 4:31 PM ^

I'd love to see the NCAA argue in court that they don't have that duty.  I'm sure they would, but the hypocracy of the NCAA saying that they aren't obligated to decide before a certain date when it is clearly in the best interest of the kid would be comical.  It's even better because the NCAA won't let him really prep for the draft (i.e. hire an agent) because he'd lose his amature status and negate the appeal.

Rickett88

April 13th, 2016 at 2:17 PM ^

Does any decision the NCAA makes really suprise you any more?

I am sad... not shocked.

 

EDIT - Should have read the article before commenting. Seems pretty cut and dry in terms of playing time and when the medical redshirt is allowed. 

Rickett88

April 13th, 2016 at 2:58 PM ^

But I don't try and understand stupid, it just makes my brain hurt.

One would think that this kid would know the rules and have a pretty good idea of the outcome. If I didn't get an answer after a few months, either a phone call or two need to be made to see where my standing is, or I just have to move on. Make the best decision with the best information that you have. 

Kermits Blue Key

April 13th, 2016 at 1:57 PM ^

Hugh Freeze was so busy with his family that he never returned any of the NCAA's calls asking whether they should grant a B1G player a medical redshirt. Eventually the NCAA got tired of calling and denied Ott the redshirt.

Wolverine In Iowa

April 13th, 2016 at 2:00 PM ^

I wish I understood the process the NCAA uses to determine granting medical redshirts.  But then again, there probably isn't a process, and decisions are made arbitrarily.  The NCAA can kiss my maize and blue ass.

I Like Burgers

April 13th, 2016 at 2:05 PM ^

I fail to see how this is the NCAA's fault.  By the letter of the law, Ott wasn't eligible for an extra season.  He tore his ACL in week 6, which is a week or two too late to get a medical redshirt.  Same thing that happened to Ojemudia.

If it ruined his NFL Draft chances, that's on Ott, not the NCAA.  If he really put all of his eggs in the medical redshirt hail mary plan, that was a bad decision on his part.  Its like buying a lotto ticket and getting pissed at the lotto agency when your house gets foreclosed on.  He could have been doing NFL Draft prep this whole time, and could've/should've had contingency plans ready to go on the extrememly likely scenario that his appeal got rejected.  If he was smart, he would have gone with the contingency plan on Jan 15th (the deadline to declare) and beyond that, he should have just declared himself eligible for the supplemental draft about 2 months ago when the delay started to impact his likely future.  Participate in Iowa's Pro Day, conduct interviews...he wouldn't have been that far behind.

Did the NCAA take a long time to make a ruling? Sure. But, should Ott have known going in that there was no timetable for a decision, and that could impact his draft chances?  Absolutely. He'd be stupid to not know that.

He made a choice to try and go with an unlikely medical redshirt season, and paid the price. That's his fault. Not the NCAA's.

Blueblood2991

April 13th, 2016 at 2:12 PM ^

[Edit] He is still eligible for the regular draft.  In fact they extended him the courtesy to participate in the combine without losing his college eligibilty if he was granted the redshirt.  Not sure what the outrage is about.

kevin holt

April 13th, 2016 at 2:09 PM ^

Those are usually granted. Weird. People misunderstand the difference between medical redshirts and 6th year waivers (including MSU, apparently) so I checked if maybe it was because Ott already redshirted. Nope, just wanted a 5th year not a 6th. Wow.

[Edit: I took it as an assumption that Ott tore his ACL earlier in the year. Seeing the other comment, if it was after 30% of the season was complete, it's 100% his fault. We clearly weren't getting Ojemudia back (god I wish) but there is a very clear cutoff and that part is rarely waived. It used to be 20% too so it's more lenient now too.]

I Like Burgers

April 13th, 2016 at 2:13 PM ^

Medical redshirts are generally only granted when you actually qualify for them.  The NCAA doesn't hand out bonus years just for fun.  The hard and fast rule is you have five years to play four seasons.  Beyond that, you can try and go for a fifth season in which you play by doing the medical hardship waiver.

To be elligible for a medial redshirt, you need to qualify for both statements:

1. You can't have played past the halfway point of the season in question.

2. You can't have played in more than 30% of the games on the schedule.

Ott qualified for the first one, but since he tore his ACL in game 6, that's at the 40% mark.  Its the same thing that happened to Ojemudia.

Now Ojemudia heard back from the NCAA back in December on his case, and both he and Ott applied for it around the same time. So no idea why Ott's took so long, but its not the NCAA's fault that he opted to wait for their hearing and passed up the chance to apply for the draft.

Pit2047

April 13th, 2016 at 4:43 PM ^

This is why I'm confused about what Mike Danjabronio is so confident that Ed Davis is going to be granted a 6th year after missing last season with a torn ACL. He redshirted his freshman year and was named Scout Team PoW week 3 against CMU and week 10 against Minnesota according to his MSU bio so obviously he was available to play. Don't you have to have two season ending injuries to qualify?

kevin holt

April 13th, 2016 at 6:50 PM ^

There are three of them total and they don't apply until after they graduate, I think.

Their compliance lperson apparently said she can remember one denial in countless applications for the 6th year. I have no idea how that can be true. She must mean a medical redshirt, not a 6th year. Right? I mean, right??

kevin holt

April 13th, 2016 at 6:46 PM ^

YES. I have wanted to discuss this so many times and never gotten a bite on it.

Yes. Why is he so confident? Is his compliance staff incompetent enough to confuse the medical redshirt with the 6th year?

MSU fans say the scout team thing isn't evidence that he couldn't play. But the rulebook requires more than that. If he could practice, then sitting out of games was still a conscious decision he/the team made. The rule requires firm evidence that something BEYOND YOUR CONTROL kept you from playing (not necessarily an injury, but that's the usual means) for MORE THAN one season.

Davis would qualify for a 5th year but not a 6th year unless MSU can prove his redshirt his freshman year was due to circumstances beyond his control. Either they have some documentation that Davis was injured that season and unable to play (who knows, maybe true, but the scout team business does seem strange because it's a much higher bar than "well my leg is a little sore but I can still practice on it").

Also seems weird that Davis would bank on it given the NFL timeline. Would he be drafted?

MI Expat NY

April 13th, 2016 at 8:34 PM ^

That was my impression as well, that it was far from a guarantee. And just having a previous medical redshirt isn't a guarantee of getting a sixth. Like I doubt Gardner would have qualified for a sixth year if he had gotten injured his fifth year because his freshman year redshirt was so soft.

As to your point above about graduating before finding out. These guys haven't graduated yet with five years, summer school, etc.?

kevin holt

April 14th, 2016 at 10:33 AM ^

Apparently not. Beats me too. I thought there were minimum requirements for credits as athletes but I think Dantonio said they apply in the summer after graduation.

I agree though. As noted above, medical redshirts are granted if you fit the requirements. 6th years are very rarely granted. If you redshirt a player, you're making a decision that if he ever gets hurt early in a season, you will not be able to redshirt him that year. That's why the rule exists.

The only possible way is if Davis and the other two actually redshirted because they were out for the season for reasons beyond their control. Looking at their bios it doesn't seem to be the case, but maybe they have medical documentation. Just seems really weird that he'd be so confident, EVEN if they were hurt before.

Also to your point, I'm not actually sure but somewhere I saw that two medical redshirts would qualify. I dunno if it's automatic, but if they were received/approved at the time, maybe that's enough proof. 

Blue Mike

April 13th, 2016 at 2:07 PM ^

I know we all hate the NCAA for everything, but did you read the article?  Ott played in 6 games this season. Isn't the cutoff 30% of the regular season (4 games)?  Also, they didn't take this long to rule; he applied, they denied.  He tried to appeal, they took longer to get back to him on the appeal.

They didn't ruin his life; he was able to attend the combine while waiting for the appeal.  He didn't do anything beacause he is still rehabbing. He is still eligible for the draft.  Is there something more to the story than EXPN reported?

GRBluefan

April 13th, 2016 at 2:12 PM ^

as much as the next guy, but dude went down after playing in 6 games.  Seems pretty cut and dry that he wasn't getting a medical redshirt.  This is on him.  Same sitiuation as Mario, basically.

Pepto Bismol

April 13th, 2016 at 2:21 PM ^

(TL;DR - Same thing the last 5 guys said.  Too wordy for my own good.)

 

I'm all for "NCAA is the devil", but I'm just reading the story & curious about the details.

I recall from Ojemudia's appeal that the medical rules are pretty cut and dry.  Mario played in 5 games - knocked out in week 5.  That was more than allowed under the medical RS rules (which I think is 3 games or 1/4 of regular season or something - definitely could be wrong).  We all knew he'd be denied.  He was denied.  He went pro.

Drew Ott played in 4 games, it appears - stretching into week 6 of the schedule.  He's over the limit to earn an extra year of eligibility.

Why should he earn a medical and Ojemudia did not? 

 

And judging by the article, it reads about an appeal being sent from the Big Ten to the NCAA in March.  MARCH!  5 months after his injury?  The NCAA received it after the combine was done (February) and ruled on it before the draft.  What did they hurt here?

Ott was allowed to work out at the February combine while awaiting word on his appeal, but he skipped due to rehab.

 

Where's the injustice?  Guy took a hail-mary appeal shot that has already been shot down for his peers.  He was allowed to participate in NFL-related acitivities in case that was the outcome.

 

Rabble, Rabble, Rabble...

Alton

April 13th, 2016 at 2:24 PM ^

(1) He clearly didn't qualify for the redshirt, per the NCAA bylaw on that subject.

(2) Applications for the redshirt go to the conference, not the NCAA.  Appeals go to the NCAA.

(3) The Big Ten turned it down in March.

(4) Go figure, but the NCAA eligibility committee (that meets monthly!) reviewed the appeal in April.

(5) The NCAA rightly (see #1) said "no."

(6) ...so the NCAA is the bad guy for doing what, exactly?

NotDudeButGuy

April 13th, 2016 at 2:18 PM ^

Dude should have already been prepping for the draft, as he had ZERO chance of actually being granted another year.  

M Go Dead

April 13th, 2016 at 2:20 PM ^

This is the right decision as stated by others, but the timeframe is perplexing. I think the NCAA makes quick decisions but decides to not announce any findings for a couple weeks just so it seems like they are doing more work and this are justified beyond kept around rather than the Power 5 going off on their own.

Pepto Bismol

April 13th, 2016 at 2:30 PM ^

Article says something about the appeal being sent to the NCAA by the Big Ten offices in March.  Not sure why that happened, or how long it sat at the B1G offices, but the NCAA receiving in March and ruling in early April doesn't seem too far-fetched.

 

(Edit:  Alton clarifies above.  Received appeal in March.  Committee meets once a month.  In April they deny it.  Seems legit.)

M Go Dead

April 13th, 2016 at 2:50 PM ^

Makes sense now. I didn't realize they only met once a month. Since this seems like such a simple yes/no decision, unless a kid gets hurt on the first play of a game that would put him over 30%, I just assumed these cases are handled as they came in.

Kwitch22

April 13th, 2016 at 2:23 PM ^

I don't understand why he would have gotten it, the rules seem to be pretty cut and dry, and he played too much to meet them. It did take longer than it should have, they should have just told him no right away. But it is his fault if he isn't in good enough shape for the NFL draft. I also don't think he should be eligible for the supplemental draft, this is his draft year and nothing has changed with his status with the NCAA

MGomaha

April 13th, 2016 at 2:44 PM ^

Drew Ott was a year older than I, and I watched him play in the Nebraska Shrine Bowl as a senior. It was a joke that he didn't get a Nebraska offer. He was the best player on the field. Bo really dropped the ball on that recruitment.

Hope he has success in the NFL. He was great at Iowa.

PopeLando

April 13th, 2016 at 2:46 PM ^

Yeah, it's weird they took so long, but it's not like he was a borderline case. Unless an NCAA representative officially told him that he's get the redshirt, he should have been expecting this.

On the other hand, fuck the NCAA.

bronxblue

April 13th, 2016 at 3:50 PM ^

It sucks for him, but at the same time this is life with the NCAA.  What really sucks is that the NFL and the NCAA don't allow you to declare for the draft preemptively and then (perhaps) pull out and still retain eligibility in these circumstances.

superstringer

April 13th, 2016 at 3:58 PM ^

Dude, they had a TOTALLY legitimate excuse for taking a long time.

They were waiting to see if there would be any unintended consequences.

 

 

 

 

(crickets)

 

 

 

 

I'll excuse myself out the back door.

Seth

April 13th, 2016 at 7:52 PM ^

The Big Ten made the same call on Ojemudia months ago and that was close to the same case. MSU has two cases pending that are equally open-and-shut. The best I can tell the NCAA committee for this* only meets a few times a year and then they issue a handful of rulings and move on. These seniors should have been expedited, but I haven't seen a lot of other cases this year to suggest that they were overwhelmed.

It could be Iowa did something wrong. Or the Big Ten took too long to rule.

* [Note: I believe the Big Ten rules on 5th year cases. The NCAA has to rule on 6th years. I looked this all up months ago when MSU was trying to bullshit Ed Davis and a DT into 6th years]