Albert Means
Encyclopedia
Albert Means was a high school football star and later a college football player. Means became well known because of the rule breaking that surrounded his recruitment by college programs.
Means was a standout defensive tackle at Trezevant High School in Memphis, Tennessee
. As a high school senior in 1999, he was Tennessee's Mr. Football, a high school All American and was one of the most highly regarded football players in the nation. Many analysts considered Means to be the best high school defensive lineman in the United States. Several schools competed to land him as a recruit, and he ultimately signed with the University of Alabama
. He appeared in seven games during the 2000 season, starting four of them.
In January 2001, former Trezevant assistant coach Milton Kirk asserted that head coach Lynn Lang had let colleges know that for $200,000 Lang would arrange for Means to play for Alabama. Kirk said that in the fall of 1999, he'd helped Lang broker a deal with several Alabama boosters in the Memphis area. During the fall, he'd gotten $30,000 from the boosters. The other $170,000 was paid when Means signed with the Crimson Tide in December.
Other claims specific to the recruitment of Means included Kirk's assertion that Lang demanded and received $6,000 in cash from a University of Kentucky
booster in the presence of Kentucky assistant coach Claude Bassett for arranging Means' visit to that school, and that Lang in similar fashion received $4,000 for each visit he arranged to the University of Georgia
and the University of Alabama
. These allegations and other evidence provided by Tennessee Volunteers
coach Phil Fulmer led the National Collegiate Athletic Association
(NCAA) and Federal Bureau of Investigation
(FBI) to investigate the recruitment of high school football players in Memphis.
The FBI investigation led to the criminal conviction on February 2, 2005 of Alabama booster Logan Young
for paying $150,000 in cash to Lang through 1999 and 2000 in order to have Means play football at Alabama. Lang and Kirk also received criminal convictions for their roles in Means' recruitment.
As a result of this and other violations, Alabama was given a two-year bowl ban and five years' probation, and narrowly escaped being handed the "death penalty." The Tide were also docked 21 scholarships. Kentucky was given a one-year bowl ban. The University of Georgia
, the University of Arkansas
and the University of Memphis
also pursued Means but were not sanctioned for any misconduct regarding their recruitment of Means. At Young's trial Lang testified that Georgia head coach Jim Donnan
gave Lang $700 "out of his own pocket", that University of Memphis
head coach Rip Scherer
promised free law school tuition for Lang's wife at Memphis and that an Arkansas coach offered him $150,000 or a position on the Razorbacks' coaching staff. At Young's trial, Donnan and Scherer denied Lang's allegations. Brad Lawing, an assistant coach for Michigan State University
who recruited Means, said Lang demanded $200,000 to arrange for Means to play football there, and that Lang stated he would have to repay $50,000 to another school that had already paid for Means. Arkansas head coach Houston Nutt
stated that one of his assistant coaches was told by Lang that $200,000 was required to secure Means' enrollment.
Also during Lang's trial, Means testified that he never took a required standardized test for college admission. Means testified that Lang had another student take the test in his place.
At Young's trial, federal prosecutors offered evidence that Lang had tried to "sell" Means to eight schools: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Memphis, Michigan State University
, the University of Mississippi
and the University of Tennessee
.
After the allegations came to light, Alabama released Means from his national letter of intent, and he transferred to Memphis to finish his college career. He was overweight and academically ineligible in 2002 but in 2004 married, worked on his conditioning and improved his play. He was second team All-Conference USA
as a senior but was not drafted by any NFL team. The Houston Texans
signed him as an undrafted free agent, but he was unable to make the roster.
Means was selected by Team Arkansas in the third round of the inauguaral All American Football League draft
on January 26, 2008.
Means was a standout defensive tackle at Trezevant High School in Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
. As a high school senior in 1999, he was Tennessee's Mr. Football, a high school All American and was one of the most highly regarded football players in the nation. Many analysts considered Means to be the best high school defensive lineman in the United States. Several schools competed to land him as a recruit, and he ultimately signed with the University of Alabama
University of Alabama
The University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....
. He appeared in seven games during the 2000 season, starting four of them.
In January 2001, former Trezevant assistant coach Milton Kirk asserted that head coach Lynn Lang had let colleges know that for $200,000 Lang would arrange for Means to play for Alabama. Kirk said that in the fall of 1999, he'd helped Lang broker a deal with several Alabama boosters in the Memphis area. During the fall, he'd gotten $30,000 from the boosters. The other $170,000 was paid when Means signed with the Crimson Tide in December.
Other claims specific to the recruitment of Means included Kirk's assertion that Lang demanded and received $6,000 in cash from a University of Kentucky
University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...
booster in the presence of Kentucky assistant coach Claude Bassett for arranging Means' visit to that school, and that Lang in similar fashion received $4,000 for each visit he arranged to the University of Georgia
University of Georgia
The University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States...
and the University of Alabama
University of Alabama
The University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....
. These allegations and other evidence provided by Tennessee Volunteers
Tennessee Volunteers
The Tennessee Volunteers and Lady Volunteers are the National Collegiate Athletic Association college sports teams at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tennessee. Mike Hamilton is the most recent Men's Athletic Director, but resigned on June 7, 2011, and Joan Cronan is the current Women's...
coach Phil Fulmer led the National Collegiate Athletic Association
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
(NCAA) and Federal Bureau of Investigation
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
(FBI) to investigate the recruitment of high school football players in Memphis.
The FBI investigation led to the criminal conviction on February 2, 2005 of Alabama booster Logan Young
Logan Young
Logan Young was a Memphis, Tennessee businessman and a booster for the University of Alabama football program. In 2005, Young was found guilty in federal court for charges relating to his role in a scheme to pay a high school football coach $150,000 to help recruit a player to Alabama.- Personal...
for paying $150,000 in cash to Lang through 1999 and 2000 in order to have Means play football at Alabama. Lang and Kirk also received criminal convictions for their roles in Means' recruitment.
As a result of this and other violations, Alabama was given a two-year bowl ban and five years' probation, and narrowly escaped being handed the "death penalty." The Tide were also docked 21 scholarships. Kentucky was given a one-year bowl ban. The University of Georgia
University of Georgia
The University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States...
, the University of Arkansas
University of Arkansas
The University of Arkansas is a public, co-educational, land-grant, space-grant, research university. It is classified by the Carnegie Foundation as a research university with very high research activity. It is the flagship campus of the University of Arkansas System and is located in...
and the University of Memphis
University of Memphis
The University of Memphis is an American public research university located in the Normal Station neighborhood of Memphis, Tennessee and is the flagship public research university of the Tennessee Board of Regents system....
also pursued Means but were not sanctioned for any misconduct regarding their recruitment of Means. At Young's trial Lang testified that Georgia head coach Jim Donnan
Jim Donnan
Jim Donnan is a former American football player and coach and now a television analyst for college football and a motivational speaker. He served as the head football coach at Marshall University and the University of Georgia , compiling a career record of 104–40–1...
gave Lang $700 "out of his own pocket", that University of Memphis
University of Memphis
The University of Memphis is an American public research university located in the Normal Station neighborhood of Memphis, Tennessee and is the flagship public research university of the Tennessee Board of Regents system....
head coach Rip Scherer
Rip Scherer
Rip Scherer is the quarterback coach for the Colorado Buffaloes. He previously served as quarterbacks coach/assistant head coach for the Carolina Panthers, Cleveland Browns, offensive coordinator for the Southern Miss Golden Eagles, the offensive coordinator for the Kansas Jayhawks, the head...
promised free law school tuition for Lang's wife at Memphis and that an Arkansas coach offered him $150,000 or a position on the Razorbacks' coaching staff. At Young's trial, Donnan and Scherer denied Lang's allegations. Brad Lawing, an assistant coach for Michigan State University
Michigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
who recruited Means, said Lang demanded $200,000 to arrange for Means to play football there, and that Lang stated he would have to repay $50,000 to another school that had already paid for Means. Arkansas head coach Houston Nutt
Houston Nutt
Houston Dale Nutt, Jr. is an American football coach and former player. Most recently he was the head football coach at the University of Mississippi from 2008 to 2011. Previously, he served as the head coach at Murray State University , Boise State University , and the University of Arkansas...
stated that one of his assistant coaches was told by Lang that $200,000 was required to secure Means' enrollment.
Also during Lang's trial, Means testified that he never took a required standardized test for college admission. Means testified that Lang had another student take the test in his place.
At Young's trial, federal prosecutors offered evidence that Lang had tried to "sell" Means to eight schools: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Memphis, Michigan State University
Michigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
, the University of Mississippi
University of Mississippi
The University of Mississippi, also known as Ole Miss, is a public, coeducational research university located in Oxford, Mississippi. Founded in 1844, the school is composed of the main campus in Oxford, four branch campuses located in Booneville, Grenada, Tupelo, and Southaven as well as the...
and the University of Tennessee
University of Tennessee
The University of Tennessee is a public land-grant university headquartered at Knoxville, Tennessee, United States...
.
After the allegations came to light, Alabama released Means from his national letter of intent, and he transferred to Memphis to finish his college career. He was overweight and academically ineligible in 2002 but in 2004 married, worked on his conditioning and improved his play. He was second team All-Conference USA
Conference USA
Conference USA, officially abbreviated C-USA, is a college athletic conference whose member institutions are located within the Southern United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I in all sports...
as a senior but was not drafted by any NFL team. The Houston Texans
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. The team is currently a member of the Southern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
signed him as an undrafted free agent, but he was unable to make the roster.
Means was selected by Team Arkansas in the third round of the inauguaral All American Football League draft
2008 AAFL Draft
The 2008 AAFL Draft took place in Atlanta, GA on January 26, 2008. It was used to stock the six teams that were to play the league's 2008 season, which was ultimately canceled...
on January 26, 2008.