As the end of the Nutt*Boone regime was coming to a close in
2011, interesting events transpired in the summer of 2011. In August
2011, the Clarion Ledger newspaper printed an article that detailed
David Saunders? Notice of Claim filed against the University of
Mississippi on July 27, 2011 that was designed to embarrass the newlynamed
"Black Bear" establishment (go to
http://blogs.clarionledger.com/um/fi....11*Redacted.p
df to view). Saunders was backed by the Forward Rebels largest
financial contributor. Now, one of the casualties of the purge of the
athletic department at Ole Miss brought about by the "Forward Rebels"
has became a modern day "Deep Throat." Deep Throat worked in the
Ole Miss athletic department when the head football coaches at Ole
Miss were Ed Orgeron and Houston Nutt and now lives outside the
state of Mississippi. The story is shockingly detailed and takes events
through the current Ole Miss staff and three upper*classmen currently
on the Ole Miss team that were signed by Hugh Freeze?s staff and two
players on Freeze?s first three teams at Ole Miss that may result in a
forfeit of all wins for 2012, 2013 and 2014. The Saunders saga actually
started with his involvement in the recruitment of Jerrell Powe as a
staff member with his good friend Hugh Freeze in 2006 at Ole Miss.
Freeze?s ongoing contact with Saunders since his arrival as Ole Miss?s
head coach is well*documented and it appears that the link to David
Saunders with Ole Miss and even Freeze and Derrick Nix is becoming
clearly undeniable.
Interestingly, Saunders? Notice of Claim came one summer
after one*third of the Ole Miss recruiting class of 2010 gained
eligibility at the Education Center in Jackson, Mississippi. The signees
David Saunders "moved" to Jackson included five (5) south Florida
signees, one (1) Geogia signee, and one signee from a small
Mississippi town over 100 miles away. Though the Ed Center did not
provide any housing, these eight (8) players lived together in Jackson,
Mississippi in the "House". These signees were even transported for
"workouts" to places like Jackson State University by Saunders? righthand
man simply referred to as "Thigpen." Saunders even paid the
tuition for most of these signees (cash). Saunders? was called on at least
two occasions to deal with problems being caused by two of the Florida
players. These same two players were kicked off the Ole Miss team in
their first year on campus. Derrick Nix, recruiting coordinator then and
currently, visited his prize in*state signee in Jackson at least twice and
had direct knowledge that all these young men were in Jackson,
Mississippi. Saunders? claim against the University revealed that he
was working for Ole Miss in that summer of 2010 as an hourly wage
employee of the University, a position totally inconsistent with his
claim that he helped these young men through contributions to his
foundation.
Saunders is unwisely refusing to cooperate and his actions are
leaving Ole Miss defenseless. Thanks to Louisiana Lafayette?s lawsuit
against the ACT it is expected that between 15 and 20 Ole Miss
recruits will be proven to have been directed to Wayne County,
including one well*known South Panola Ole Miss signee who has
already testified that Saunders? directed him to Wayne County.
The plot continues to thicken as ACT information shows
current Ole Miss players have non*qualifying scores at sites other than
Wayne County and a qualifying score from Waynesboro. Don?t expect
things to get easier for Saunders and Ginny Crager because the ULL
lawsuit against the ACT will make it very difficult for one party or the
other to remain quiet and not risk being the first to exonerate
themselves from potential criminal charges such as mail fraud by
turning "State?s" evidence. (Incidentally, Ms. Crager is the same person
who was the tutor for Jerrell Powe for correspondence courses that the
NCAA did not accept and that he was taking while supposedly in
attendance at Prep School in Virginia). Also intriguing is the fact in his
Notice of Claim Saunders actually claimed his assistance to Jerrell
Powe was the reason Pete Boone would not allow Houston Nutt to hire
him. Perhaps it was Boone?s concern for Saunders unscrupulous
actions that now reflect a course and pattern of almost ten years of
engaging in fraudulent academic practices that Boone was wise to
recognize early.
Now, through Deep Throat, new revelations such as paying for
recruits to go to Coahoma Community College to get a GED (thus
avoiding state test score failures) are being brought to light. The Ole
Miss brand is about to become like the Old West brand that represents
a "stolen" herd of cattle and the NCAA is likely to hold the hammer
that will forge that brand
