Report: Dillard Star Says Auburn Paid Him
MIAMI (CBS4) - A former star defensive end at Dillard High School could be opening the can of worms that brings down Auburn University's football program.
In a report to be aired on Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel on HBO Wednesday night, former Dillard High star Stanley McClover claims he was paid by Auburn University in exchange for attending the SEC school.
The allegations were revealed by the website Sportsbybrooks.com after the site received an advance copy of the Real Sports special.
"Somebody came to me, I don't even know this person and he was like, 'we would love for you to come to LSU' and he gave me a handshake and it had five hundred dollars in there," McClover said, according to sportsbybrooks. "That's called a money handshake. I grabbed it and I'm like 'wow,' hell I thought ten dollars was a lot of money back then."
McClover also said that he initially received a few hundred dollars at an Auburn football camp and money at a Michigan state camp. But, McClover said at Ohio State during an official visit, he received roughly $1,000 and another offer.
"They send girls my way. I partied," McClover said. "When I got there, I met up with a couple guys from the team. We went to a party and they asked me to pick any girl I wanted."
McClover went on to say that he was offered "sexual services" by the women and that he took the services.
It was all enough to make McClover commit to Ohio State. But, Auburn wasn't done recruiting him. According to McClover, he asked Auburn for money, and "a lot of it." He said it was delivered in a book bag.
"I almost passed out," McClover said according to sportsbybrooks.com. "I literally almost passed out. I couldn't believe it was true. I felt like I owed them."
McClover said he felt obligated to the school after he received the money. He would go on to attend Auburn University from 2003-2005.
According to sportsbybrooks' account, McClover said that when he recorded four sacks against Auburn's chief rival, the Alabama Crimson Tide, he received $4000.
During his career at Auburn, he was a Sporting News Freshman All-America second-team selection, and in 2004, he finished the season with 35 tackles, 20 of those were solo tackles. He also tied for the team lead with 7.5 sacks.
He was drafted into the NFL by the Carolina Panthers in the seventh round of the 2006 NFL Draft. McClover was eventually waived by the Houston Texans in 2009.
McClover is one of multiple players at Auburn who made allegations in the report, according to sportsbybrooks.com.
