 "Photo: File Photo")
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Almost 10 months after their release from the team, Paul Donahoe and Kenny Jordan are still causing problems for the University of Nebraska wrestling program.
Both Donahoe and Jordan accuse Nebraska wrestling coaches of operating poker games involving inappropriate sums of money on a segment of ESPN's "Outside the Lines".
Jordan said the money was flowing on the table.
"Oh, there's people that walked out with eight, nine-hundred, a grand, easy," Jordan said to "Outside the Lines", which airs its segment on the wrestlers this Sunday at 8 a.m.
A spokesman for Manning declined to comment.
NU assistant coach Mike Greenfield admitted to ESPN that coaches and athletes would play poker but said the stakes were never high.
"I'm smart enough to know I'm not going to take a bunch of money from college students," Greenfield said.
While not specific, there is an NCAA rule prohibiting the inappropriate exchange of money.
The allegations resulted in an internal investigation of the wrestling program by the athletic department.
Donahoe has since retracted some of the allegations. When ESPN asked him in May about his earlier accusations, Donahoe struggled to give a response.
"I said that? I must have been on drugs or something. I don't remember that. I must have been doing some kind of drugs," Donahoe said.
NU wrestling head coach Mark Manning had remained quiet about Donahoe until this spring. Manning explained his rationale and reasoning of Donahoe's dismissal.
"I really care for Paul, and some people probably fault me for that," Manning says. "I spent four years trying to help him mature and provide very much of a family atmosphere for him, and I'm sure he's hurt because of that. But he's not bigger than the program, and he's not bigger than the University of Nebraska."
ESPN.com also points out the pair's past history of trouble priot to posing nude for the online pornographic Web site Fratmen.tv.
Jordan's rapsheet is the longer of two, carrying two misdemeanor assault charges.
Donahoe was involved with two altercations with his girlfriend. During one altercation the girl placed calls to several of the Husker coaches at 4:30 a.m. seeking to have Donahoe removed from her apartment, according to an ESPN.com report.
Donahoe had two run-ins with the law during 2008. He was arrested on April 13 for a confrontation with an officer and prior to that on March 28 he received a citation for violating the open container policy.
Before he was kicked off the team Donahoe was suspended for violating an NCAA policy by selling an iPod that he had received at the Big 12 Conference Tournament.
Despite his rap sheet, Donahoe told ESPN that he is not a troublemaker, and that he is a victim of Nebraska trying to protect its image.
"I don't really get into trouble that much," Donahoe says. "I mean, I sold an iPod, I had a party at my house and I took naked photos. I mean, other than that, I tend to stay out of trouble."
After being dismissed from the team, Donahoe was granted his release from scholarship and transferred to Edinboro University, where he finished second at the NCAA Championships in the 125-pound weight class.
Jordan was not released from his scholarship and transferred to Purdue University, where he did not compete for the school. In March, he was seriously injured in a fall off a South Carolina balcony on a spring break trip.
Jonathan Crowl contributed to this report.
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9 comments
- “While not specific, there is an NCAA rule prohibiting the inappropriate exchange of money.”
- “Donahoe has since retracted some of the allegations…‘I said that? I must have been on drugs or something.’”
- “’Oh, there’s people that walked out with eight, nine-hundred, a grand, easy,’ Jordan said…”
- “’I’m smart enough to know I’m not going to take a bunch of money from college students,’ Greenfield said.”Judging credibility based on these statements, it strikes me as a bit premature to come down on the coaches. I doubt penny-ante poker is anywhere close to being a violation of NCAA rules, but if we are talking significant sums of money, then there would be an issue. Let’s see if the allegations of betting hundreds of dollars prove to be true, then decide whether an inappropriate exchange of money took place or not.Wel, the “someone” that mentioned Jordan’s failure to make weight were the NCAA tournament officials. Those watching the scores of the ten leading teams were very aware of how big an impact there would be from kids that didn’t make weight, and Kenny’s blunder was no secret to anyone. If he had made weight, the Penn State team wouldn’t have nominated him as the Nitney Lion’s “Most Valuable Wrestler.”