I am still scratching my head on Tee's first run at it. ...
I'm outright baffled by his "stint" at ND. I'm not talking the "health condition" or academic/limited attendance issues. As much as some people here cite these as "fact" there is no basis to be a fact, only internet innuendo.
Some ND Background
ND for quite some time has had a reputation for tougher Admissions requirements than the NCAA Minimums. At least since the mid 90's, ND has required HS students to have 16 core courses at a time when the NCAA only required 12. The NCAA has only recently made that a requirement for all Div 1 schools.
In the past 15 or so years I can think of quite a few recruits who got rejected outright by ND Admissions, such as T.J. Duckett (lack of HS math classes) and Walter Payton's kid, both RBs. QB Carson Palmer was told to retake his test and raise his score. He was annoyed that everyone else accepted his NCAA minimal score and refused. He went to USC. WR David Terrell was told to retake a course. He too got his nose out of joint as other colleges accepted his NCAA minimal GPA/Core Courses. He verballed ND but fled to Michigan rather than make up a course.
Aldo de la Garza worked his butt off to get his academics up to ND Admissions standards but fell short. He excelled as a lineman at A&M.
In '95 Holtz had LOI's from WR Randy Moss and RB James Jackson. Yet Moss application was rejected by ND Admissions and Jackson's grades were deficient. This was at a time when you didn't get an ND offer until AFTER ND Admissions said you were qualified to be an ND student. Holtz tired to finesse to subpar students past Admissions at the 11th hour (actually 12:01). "We already have their LOI's." ND Admissions took the steam out of Holtz's steamroller and neither Moss nor Jackson were cleared by ND. (This power play manuever and it's rejection was one of the princpal causes of Holtz's leaving ND about 10 months later but I digress.)
Many are called and few are chosen. Happens most ever year.
In ND's history there has been one JUCO transfer, Moriarty. There have been 3 Prop 48 Admissions all in '86, Rice, Foley, and Basketball player Robinson. The Prop 48s had deficient GPA and/or Test Scores. The NCAA allowed them to enroll but they were not allowed to practice or take part in any sport activity. 100% of their freshman year time was to be spent on ACADEMICS only AND that year COUNTED as a year of eligibilty. The ND Prop 48's graduated but ND never took another one as the Administration did not feel students in that situation were intergrated well into the NCAA Student Body Experience. (See ND First Year of Studies Program).
About 7 years ago ND made a huge change in philosophy when Early Entrance Freshman were admitted in January for the Spring Term. President Malloy opposed it strongly but finally acquiesced. ND Admissions reviewed the candidates with the proverbial fine tooth comb as this was a departure from ND's Educational Philosophy.
Also in the '90's and '00's there were a number of student athletes that somehow ran afoul of the NCAA Clearinghouse for a variety of reasons (usually a HS transcript error or a question over the HS Course Description and the actual HS Course Content). One of the Wisne brother, I believe the younger one, Andy had a Clearinghouse Problem and he was forbidden to play by the NCAA. You have to have Clearinghouse approval to have an NCAA Scholarship. In all cases the Clearinghouse issues were resolved but keep in mind they couldn't play until it was in place - NO scholarship without approval.
Now we come to Tee and the real issues.
How was he enrolled at ND if he didn't have an approved TEST SCORE?
Was he Clearinghouse Approved?
Similar to Palmer and Terrell, had Tee met the NCAA Requirements but was told by ND to raise his score and he was deficient there?
If so, why was he enrolled as a Early Entrant when ND requires an even stronger display of academic character?
Most of you are buzzing over second chances, yet I ask was Tee ever actually approved in the first place. Was he enrolled or was he in "limbo" awaiting clearance? Was this why he wasn't in class BUT was making lockerroom videos - by himself? Did the Tee "enrollment" justify the Yeager unproven allegations in "Under The Tarnished Dome" about selling out integrity by lowering standards dramtically to get a highly touted prospect around Admissions?
Did Tee withdraw from ND "IN GOOD STANDING before the cutoff date for withdrawal? Is he considered for Grad Rate Computations an academic failure for ND (doesn't sound like he was in good standing from the jimmymac and other students gossip) or is he "the man who was never there"? Does a "health condition/failed physical" constitute a waiver in the grad rate stats.
Personally, I have reservations as to whether he was truly enrolled. ND requesting a higher test score is moot if he was already enrolled before the test score results were in. IF he had already met the Clearinghouse than Enrollment IS acceptance.
Now there's the recent newspaper article where a JUCO coach says Tee is enrolled at his school. Tee may play there but will the courses he takes there be comparable to ND First Year of Studies?
Keep in mind here that two ND verbals reneged and first went to UF where they took college courses but they transferred to ND where they had to make up work to catch up when allowed to come to ND.
And unlike Larry Moriarty's situation, Tee's 5 year NCAA clock is ticking.
This is Notre Dame where the term Student-Athlete is evaluated in in the whole. No pass on math or foreign language even if you do run for a 4.3 40 - backpedaling.
About 15 years ago after a ND player had problems with academic eligibility then HC Lou Holtz noted, "If you're not eligible, you are of no use to the team, the school, or yourself."
