Gary Parrish, sportswriter for The Commercial Appeal, spoke to University of Memphis students Wednesday about his investigative reporting that led to the unveiling of the Albert Means' recruiting scandal.
Parrish, a 1999 U of M graduate, said he had heard rumors about local recruiting violations, but that it wasn't until a phone call from former Trezevant assistant coach Milton Kirk that his suspicions were confirmed.
The result was a media frenzy that has yet to end.
"It has been overwhelming. Since that story broke I have been contacted by CNN, ESPN and NBC," Parrish said. "CNN wanted me to come on live, but I could not do it because of legal reasons."
Parrish said it is widely known that illegal recruiting practices exist in college football. But this story was unique because someone on the inside was revealing information, despite the likelihood of self-incrimination.
Parrish said he has spent the last two weeks working 15-hour days and trying to deal with angry football fans.
He said his father, whose name is also Gary, had to change his phone number to an unlisted one to avoid any possible problems.
"I have gotten over 200 e-mails, mostly from Alabama fans, and I have received death threats," Parrish said. "A man came to the office and said there could be personal attacks against me if I did not change
my story."
Times were not always so rough for Parrish.
Two years ago as a student reporter for The Daily Helmsman, managing time is what Parrish said concerned him the most.
"I was writing, editing and laying out design, then I had classes I had to go to," Parrish said. "But it helped me learn how to juggle things."
He added that the experience was better than anything that he could have learned in a classroom.
"I would get some satisfaction out of beating a CA reporter to a story, and I feel like I held my own against those guys," Parrish said.
Parrish said this incident has made him more cautious about what he says and does, and that he has become less of a sports fan after his
experiences the past few years.
"The behind-the-scenes stuff in sports is amazing to me because it runs through all levels of sports -- from high school to professionals," Parrish said.
He said that he is optimistic about future career opportunities and that he cannot imagine writing game stories as a 50-year-old.
"I don't see myself in Memphis forever. Ten years from now, maybe, I'd like to be a columnist at a major metropolitan newspaper," Parrish said.
