Texas Responds To Rumors Of Paying Players
Texas Responds To Rumors Of Paying Players
Texas Responds To Rumors Of Paying Players
Texas responded to rumors of paying players this week.
On Monday evening, Odell Beckham ignited a national conversation about paying college athletes when he rewarded members of LSU’s football team with wads of cash.
Following his alma mater’s dominant championship game victory over Clemson, the Cleveland Browns wide receiver could be seen on the sidelines handing various players money.
One day later, former Texas linebacker Emmanuel Acho appeared on ESPN’s Get Up to defend Beckham’s actions. In the process, he seemingly implicated his own school in an athlete paying scheme.
Addressing my comments about Texas Football earlier from @GetUpESPN.
I have no proof that anybody on our ‘09 team ACTUALLY got paid by our NFL alumni. Those were lockeroom convos in jest pre game. Our alumni came to the game and supported us, but again no money changed hands.
— Emmanuel Acho (@thEMANacho) January 16, 2020
“We went to the national championship game in 2009 and … it was public to the team, for every interception the defensive back got, they were going to get $1,000,” Acho said of Texas’ 37-21 loss to the Crimson Tide on Jan. 7, 2010,” he said.
“For every pick y’all got against Alabama in the national championship game, you’re going to get $1,000. Now, the difference is we just didn’t do it publicly on the field.
For obvious reasons, Acho’s comments sparked controversy and led to many questioning precisely what has been going on in Texas.
On Thursday, Acho came back and attempted to clarify his earlier statements.
“Addressing my comments about Texas Football earlier from Get Up ESPN,” he wrote on Twitter.
“I have no proof that anybody on our ‘09 team ACTUALLY got paid by our NFL alumni. Those were lockeroom convos in jest pre game. Our alumni came to the game and supported us, but again no money changed hands.”
It remains to be seen if the NCAA will now look into the Longhorns over Acho’s original claims.
Similarly, the collegiate governing body has not yet announced what it plans to do about LSU and Beckham.
Presumably a statement of some sort will be made in the coming days.
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Jennifer Withers Hoey is a former Business Development Manager who transitioned to writing about sports. With valuable connections all over the West Coast, she has used those contacts to break some of the most interesting stories pertaining to the Portland Trail Blazers, Oregon Ducks, LA Lakers, LA Clippers, Seattle Supersonics (RIP), and more.
