A negative situation turned positive this week as former University of Alabama defensive tackle Albert Means announced he would be staying close to home and playing football for The University of Memphis.
Means, a former Trezevant High School standout, was one of the most highly recruited players in the South and was sought after by many local and national football powerhouses.
Means withdrew from Alabama last week after learning about allegations that two of his Trezevant coaches had sold his services to that university without his personal knowledge.
The addition of Means to the Tigers' top 10 nationally ranked defense has U of M football fans excited, but under NCAA rules Means will have to sit out the 2001 season with three years of eligibility remaining.
Head football coach Tommy West was away on a recruiting trip, but U of M Director of Football Operations John Flowers said an appeal will be made to the NCAA that would allow Means to play this Fall, if accepted.
"We are happy to have Albert as a member of our squad," Flowers said.
Memphis Athletic Director R.C. Johnson is also optimistic about Means' decision, and he said that his signing sends a strong message to everyone about the future of Tiger football.
"He is so high profile, that it helps us more for him to say it than for us," Johnson said.
Means' arrival at Memphis is already proving to be beneficial for recruiting, as several top local high school players have already made verbal commitments to the school.
The recent allegations made against some Memphis area high school football coaches has led two SEC schools, Kentucky and Alabama, to put restrictions on city recruits. Alabama has announced they will stop recruiting Memphis players.
Johnson commented on illegal recruiting practices and said this was an isolated incident. And as a whole, collegiate athletics have come a long way in eliminating illegal practices.
Flowers agreed this was also just an isolated incident.
"It does continue to happen, but that has been curtailed with the recent rules and regulations of the NCAA," Flowers said.
Flowers added there are not enough people in the NCAA to enforce all the regulations, and universities are not always at fault.
"It's not always the institutions," Flowers said. "It's people like alumni that are fanatical about their teams."
Flowers added the best thing about Means' situation is that it's going to be solved.
