Baylor came under fire last week for allowing Sam Ukwuachu to transfer to the school despite his obvious problems at Boise State that led him to being kicked off the football team. After Ukwuachu was found guilty last week of raping a fellow Baylor student upon transferring to the school in 2013, many wondered how Baylor allowed a player with such a checkered past into the university. They also wondered why the rape allegations Ukwuachu was facing were kept silent for so long.
There was a huge dispute Friday about how much Baylor football coach Art Briles knew about Ukwuachu’s past before taking him on as a transfer. Boise State coach Chris Petersen insisted he informed Briles about Ukwuachu’s past and issues, while Briles tried to downplay how much he knew.
Briles’ statement downplaying how much he knew about Ukwuachu has come into even greater question now that we’re learning Florida head coach Will Muschamp wouldn’t take the former freshman All-American because of his history.
From SI’s Thayer Evans and Pete Thamel:
Florida considered taking Ukwuachu in May 2013, but then-Gators coach Will Muschamp decided against it after a Boise State athletic department employee detailed Ukwuachu’s troubles with a girlfriend, according to two former Florida athletic department employees.
“There was no way,” one of the former Florida employees told The Inside Read of Ukwuachu. “[Muschamp] wouldn’t touch him.”
[…]
Ukwuachu also wasn’t completely forthcoming with Florida about his relationship with his former girlfriend, the former Gators athletic department employee said. But the Boise State athletic department employee was clear about Ukwuachu’s issues, according to the former Florida staffer.Said the ex-Florida official: “There was absolutely no doubt.”
There was no way Muschamp would take on Ukwuachu after being told about what the guy did, yet Baylor and Briles took him in. Even this summer one of Baylor’s coaches talked about having plans for Ukwuachu to help the team this fall.
This seems to support allegations of a cover-up by Briles/Baylor even more. Why would Florida have gotten the full rundown on Ukwuachu but Baylor did not? Maybe the Bears were just so hungry to win they were willing to overlook it and thought/hoped Ukwuachu would change.
