Eric Ramsey
Encyclopedia
Eric Ramsey was a defensive back
for Auburn University
's football team in the early 1990s who used a tape recorder to secretly record conversations between his football coaches and Booster "Corky" Frost regarding an illicit player payment scheme. Ramsey's allegations also included racist practices at Auburn, including disapproval of inter-racial dating in the community and segregation of black and white players in the resident athletic dorm. After his tapes were revealed, Auburn received strict penalties and probation for the sixth time in the schools history. This scandal prompted Coach Pat Dye
's resignation and preceded the hiring of Samford University
football coach Terry Bowden
.
in 1967. He was signed by Auburn in the signing class of 1986 but was redshirted for the 1987 football season that culminated in Auburn's second SEC championship in five years. In 1989, he became a starter, and in 1990, he was a star defensive back on an Auburn team that went as high as number three in the nation. He was drafted in the tenth round of the 1991 NFL draft by the Kansas City Chiefs
but was cut before training camp ended. In June 1991, the Montgomery-Advertiser newspaper printed a portion of an essay Ramsey wrote for his Sociology
class. The article accused Auburn's football coaches of being "condescending" towards blacks and having a slave master mentality.
Another contributing factor to the scandal is believed to be the conflict within the Ramsey family. Former Auburn linebacker Aundray Bruce
was married to Ramsey's wife's sister, making them brothers-in-law. Bruce was the overall number one pick in the 1988 NFL Draft
by the Atlanta Falcons
and had received a substantial signing bonus that instantly made him a rich man. Envy of the success of Bruce was later considered one of the complicating factors as the story was told in "The Uncivil War," a history of the Iron Bowl from 1981 to 1994 written by Scott Brown and Will Collier.
. He claimed to have received improper benefits including money in violation of NCAA rules. He further claimed that he had a collection of over 70 audio tapes to substantiate his allegations. He had retained Birmingham attorney Donald Watkins
as legal counsel. His claims were supported by former Auburn fullback Alex Strong, who claimed that he had received "a couple of thousand a year" from former Auburn assistant Frank Young.
Ramsey's most specific allegations centered on Auburn booster Bill "Corky" Frost. Ramsey alleged that Frost had made at least two of Ramsey's monthly car payments and given him steaks to help him gain weight. He also claimed Young had paid him $300 per month. The most damaging allegation, however, was pointed at Auburn coach and athletic director, Pat Dye
, who he claimed had helped him receive an unsecured loan for over $9,000 in April 1990.
Ramsey's initial claims were opposed by several former Auburn stars including Bo Jackson
, Frank Thomas
, and Aundray Bruce
. All spoke out against Ramsey and denied they had ever received any improper benefits.
Ironically, Auburn football coach and athletic director Pat Dye
was in Boston meeting with an NCAA representative on the day the scandal broke. Dye was reporting the findings of an internal investigation into Auburn's basketball and tennis programs. Both were subsequently put on probation. Dye traveled to Knoxville, Tennessee
for the SEC showdown with the Tennessee Volunteers
, a game won by the Vols, 30-21. Dye made immediately clear that he was not going to comment on the scandal except 'through the proper channels,' referring to his attorneys. This was necessary because Dye's coaching contract had a clause permitting his instant dismissal if he had prior knowledge of NCAA rules violations.
Shortly after the scandal broke, Alex Strong met with Dye and then publicly recanted his claims.
On October 6, 1991, another former player, Vincent Harris, alleged in the Birmingham News that he had received payments from assistant coaches. However, Harris made no claims to possessing audio tapes or any other evidence.
The tapes became the subject of much speculation, including the theory they were spliced together to incriminate potential adversaries. Ramsey and Watkins refused to allow the FBI to authenticate the tapes. However, they did keep the story in the news by playing some tapes for the Montgomery Advertiser
during an open weekend on the Auburn football schedule.
Just prior to the SEC match-up with Florida, Ramsey and Watkins released a tape that incriminated former Auburn track star and booster Corky Frost. The tape indicated that Frost, a wealthy man, had paid Ramsey a sum of money as well as given Ramsey steaks to help him gain weight as a freshman. It also indicated Frost had agreed to set up a payment plan for Ramsey to receive $100 for interceptions and $500 for touchdowns. The only question remaining in the drama was, "What did Pat Dye know and when did he know it?"
In the spring of 1992, Dye was diagnosed with hemachromatosis, a fact that may have gained him a measure of sympathy with the NCAA. The continuing investigation stretched into the 1992 football season. Auburn's new President, William Muse
, hired a new athletic director to help with the investigation upon Dye's resignation as A.D. Meanwhile, both Eric Ramsey and his wife, Twilitta, graduated from Auburn wearing bulletproof vests during commencement.
The scandal further evolved in October 1992 when Pat Dye finally acknowledged that he did know about the illegal payments to Ramsey. On November 5, 1992, the NCAA's official letter of inquiry arrived. This disclosure effectively ended his career as a college football coach although Dye did not resign until November 25, 1992, just 16 hours before the game against arch rival Alabama.
and repeated his allegations. Because the NCAA had requested that all parties refrain from speaking to the media, no defense was presented for Auburn.
In May 1992, Dye resigned as athletic director and was replaced by former Washington athletic director Mike Lude
, who was also president of the Blockbuster Bowl. Lude was also well connected at the NCAA, and the hope was that he would enable Auburn to deal with the inevitable penalties.
On November 11, 1992, the NCAA's formal letter of inquiry arrived at Auburn. The football program was charged with nine violations, one that directly implicated Dye. The investigation determined that Dye did know about the extra benefits Ramsey received but had not reported them to the NCAA. Dye made the situation worse by admitting to Huntsville Times reporters that he did in fact know about the illegal benefits.
1. During a December 1989 visit by the student-athlete to the representative's residence, the representative provided between $400 and $500 cash and four new tires (approximate value of $350) for the young man's automobile.
2. During a February 1990 telephone conversation, the representative directed the student-athlete to mail his two delinquent car payment coupons to the representative. Subsequent to this telephone conversation, the young man mailed the coupons to the representative; and on February 20, 1990, the representative paid $299 and $278.88 to satisfy the debt utilizing money orders purchased near the representative's business.
3. In February 1990, the representative visited the young man's residence in Auburn where he provided between $100 and $200 cash to the student-athlete. In the spring of 1990, the representative [Page 9] provided $1,200 cash to a relative, who drove to the student-athlete's residence where he provided $1,200 cash to the young man.
4. During a December 1990 visit by the student-athlete to the representative's office, the representative provided $540 cash to the young man, of which $500 was a Christmas gift and $40 was to purchase gasoline.
5. Following the 1990 Hall of Fame Bowl game, the representative provided $100 cash to the student-athlete for the young man's performance in the game. Subsequent to the Hall of Fame Bowl game and prior to the 1990 football season, the representative and the student-athlete discussed a bonus payment system based upon the young man's performance in football games (e.g., big hits, touchdowns and interceptions). As a result of this agreement, the representative provided cash totaling at least $700 to the student-athlete after 1990 home football contests.
6. In the spring of 1991, following the completion of the young man's eligibility, the representative visited the student-athlete's trailer home and placed at least $250 in cash inside a trailer apartment sign. Thereafter, the representative telephoned the student-athlete and instructed the young man to look behind the trailer sign for the cash.
On August 18, 1993, Auburn was hit with some of the most severe penalties in the history of the NCAA (at that time). These included a two-year bowl ban, a one-year television ban (for the 1993 season), and the loss of 13 scholarships spread out over a four-year period. Dye was also banned from any appearance at an Auburn function until August 1995. The probation period, while enforced at the beginning of the 1993 season, did not actually start until the 1991 probations of the basketball and tennis teams ended. The probation therefore extended until Thanksgiving 1995.
coach Terry Bowden
. They also recovered quite well, going unbeaten in their first twenty games of Bowden's tenure before tying Georgia on November 11, 1994. The following week, their unbeaten string came to an end in the Iron Bowl as Alabama prevailed, 21-14. The Tigers eventually won the 1997 SEC Western Division championship.
Defensive back
In American football and Canadian football, defensive backs are the players on the defensive team who take positions somewhat back from the line of scrimmage; they are distinguished from the defensive line players and linebackers, who take positions directly behind or close to the line of...
for Auburn University
Auburn University
Auburn University is a public university located in Auburn, Alabama, United States. With more than 25,000 students and 1,200 faculty members, it is one of the largest universities in the state. Auburn was chartered on February 7, 1856, as the East Alabama Male College, a private liberal arts...
's football team in the early 1990s who used a tape recorder to secretly record conversations between his football coaches and Booster "Corky" Frost regarding an illicit player payment scheme. Ramsey's allegations also included racist practices at Auburn, including disapproval of inter-racial dating in the community and segregation of black and white players in the resident athletic dorm. After his tapes were revealed, Auburn received strict penalties and probation for the sixth time in the schools history. This scandal prompted Coach Pat Dye
Pat Dye
Patrick Fain Dye is a former American football player, coach, and college athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at East Carolina University , the University of Wyoming , and Auburn University compiling a career college football record of 153–62–5...
's resignation and preceded the hiring of Samford University
Samford University
Samford University, founded as Howard College is a private, coeducational, Alabama Baptist Convention-affiliated university located in Homewood, a suburb of Birmingham, Alabama, United States. It includes the , Cumberland School of Law, McWhorter School of Pharmacy, Brock School of Business, Ida V....
football coach Terry Bowden
Terry Bowden
Terry Bowden is an American football coach at the University of North Alabama. Bowden was previously the head coach at Salem University , Samford University , and Auburn University . Bowden is the son of former Florida State University head football coach Bobby Bowden...
.
Background information
Eric Ramsey was born in the Birmingham suburb of Homewood, AlabamaHomewood, Alabama
Homewood is a city in southeastern Jefferson County, Alabama, United States. It is a suburb of Birmingham, located on the other side of Red Mountain due south of the city center. It has one of the highest population densities in Alabama. As of 2009 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the...
in 1967. He was signed by Auburn in the signing class of 1986 but was redshirted for the 1987 football season that culminated in Auburn's second SEC championship in five years. In 1989, he became a starter, and in 1990, he was a star defensive back on an Auburn team that went as high as number three in the nation. He was drafted in the tenth round of the 1991 NFL draft by the Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
but was cut before training camp ended. In June 1991, the Montgomery-Advertiser newspaper printed a portion of an essay Ramsey wrote for his Sociology
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
class. The article accused Auburn's football coaches of being "condescending" towards blacks and having a slave master mentality.
Another contributing factor to the scandal is believed to be the conflict within the Ramsey family. Former Auburn linebacker Aundray Bruce
Aundray Bruce
Aundray Bruce is a former American football linebacker. He played college football at Auburn University and professionally for the Atlanta Falcons and Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders of the NFL.-College career:...
was married to Ramsey's wife's sister, making them brothers-in-law. Bruce was the overall number one pick in the 1988 NFL Draft
NFL Draft
The National Football League Draft is an annual event in which the National Football League teams select eligible college football players and it is their most common source of player recruitment. The basic design of the draft is each team is given a position in the drafting order in reverse order...
by the Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
and had received a substantial signing bonus that instantly made him a rich man. Envy of the success of Bruce was later considered one of the complicating factors as the story was told in "The Uncivil War," a history of the Iron Bowl from 1981 to 1994 written by Scott Brown and Will Collier.
The Scandal Breaks
On Friday, September 27, 1991, Ramsey was the front-page story in the Montgomery AdvertiserMontgomery Advertiser
The Montgomery Advertiser is a daily newspaper located in Montgomery, Alabama. It was founded in 1829.- History:The newspaper began publication in 1829 as The Planter's Gazette. It became the Montgomery Advertiser in 1833. In 1903, R.F. Hudson, a young Alabama newspaperman, joined the staff of the...
. He claimed to have received improper benefits including money in violation of NCAA rules. He further claimed that he had a collection of over 70 audio tapes to substantiate his allegations. He had retained Birmingham attorney Donald Watkins
Donald Watkins
Donald V. Watkins of Birmingham, Alabama is an African-American lawyer and entrepreneur. He is the father of four adult sons and a teenage daughter. Watkins was married to DeAndra Y. Johnson. The couple divorced in 2004...
as legal counsel. His claims were supported by former Auburn fullback Alex Strong, who claimed that he had received "a couple of thousand a year" from former Auburn assistant Frank Young.
Ramsey's most specific allegations centered on Auburn booster Bill "Corky" Frost. Ramsey alleged that Frost had made at least two of Ramsey's monthly car payments and given him steaks to help him gain weight. He also claimed Young had paid him $300 per month. The most damaging allegation, however, was pointed at Auburn coach and athletic director, Pat Dye
Pat Dye
Patrick Fain Dye is a former American football player, coach, and college athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at East Carolina University , the University of Wyoming , and Auburn University compiling a career college football record of 153–62–5...
, who he claimed had helped him receive an unsecured loan for over $9,000 in April 1990.
Ramsey's initial claims were opposed by several former Auburn stars including Bo Jackson
Bo Jackson
Vincent Edward "Bo" Jackson is a former American baseball and football player. He was the first athlete to be named an All-Star in two major American sports, and also won the Heisman Trophy in 1985....
, Frank Thomas
Frank Thomas (AL baseball player)
Frank Edward Thomas, Jr. , nicknamed "The Big Hurt", is a former Major League Baseball designated hitter and first baseman....
, and Aundray Bruce
Aundray Bruce
Aundray Bruce is a former American football linebacker. He played college football at Auburn University and professionally for the Atlanta Falcons and Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders of the NFL.-College career:...
. All spoke out against Ramsey and denied they had ever received any improper benefits.
Ironically, Auburn football coach and athletic director Pat Dye
Pat Dye
Patrick Fain Dye is a former American football player, coach, and college athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at East Carolina University , the University of Wyoming , and Auburn University compiling a career college football record of 153–62–5...
was in Boston meeting with an NCAA representative on the day the scandal broke. Dye was reporting the findings of an internal investigation into Auburn's basketball and tennis programs. Both were subsequently put on probation. Dye traveled to Knoxville, Tennessee
Knoxville, Tennessee
Founded in 1786, Knoxville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, U.S.A., behind Memphis and Nashville, and is the county seat of Knox County. It is the largest city in East Tennessee, and the second-largest city in the Appalachia region...
for the SEC showdown with the 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...
, a game won by the Vols, 30-21. Dye made immediately clear that he was not going to comment on the scandal except 'through the proper channels,' referring to his attorneys. This was necessary because Dye's coaching contract had a clause permitting his instant dismissal if he had prior knowledge of NCAA rules violations.
Shortly after the scandal broke, Alex Strong met with Dye and then publicly recanted his claims.
On October 6, 1991, another former player, Vincent Harris, alleged in the Birmingham News that he had received payments from assistant coaches. However, Harris made no claims to possessing audio tapes or any other evidence.
The tapes became the subject of much speculation, including the theory they were spliced together to incriminate potential adversaries. Ramsey and Watkins refused to allow the FBI to authenticate the tapes. However, they did keep the story in the news by playing some tapes for the Montgomery Advertiser
Montgomery Advertiser
The Montgomery Advertiser is a daily newspaper located in Montgomery, Alabama. It was founded in 1829.- History:The newspaper began publication in 1829 as The Planter's Gazette. It became the Montgomery Advertiser in 1833. In 1903, R.F. Hudson, a young Alabama newspaperman, joined the staff of the...
during an open weekend on the Auburn football schedule.
Just prior to the SEC match-up with Florida, Ramsey and Watkins released a tape that incriminated former Auburn track star and booster Corky Frost. The tape indicated that Frost, a wealthy man, had paid Ramsey a sum of money as well as given Ramsey steaks to help him gain weight as a freshman. It also indicated Frost had agreed to set up a payment plan for Ramsey to receive $100 for interceptions and $500 for touchdowns. The only question remaining in the drama was, "What did Pat Dye know and when did he know it?"
Ramsey and the NCAA
Ramsey was first interviewed by an athletics representative from the NCAA on January 10, 1992. He was interviewed for a second time in March 1992, with subsequent interviews in August 1992 and a final interview on February 27, 1993.In the spring of 1992, Dye was diagnosed with hemachromatosis, a fact that may have gained him a measure of sympathy with the NCAA. The continuing investigation stretched into the 1992 football season. Auburn's new President, William Muse
William Muse
William Van Muse was the President of the University of Akron from 1984 to 1992, of Auburn University from 1992 to 2001, and Chancellor of East Carolina University from 2001 to 2003.-Biography:...
, hired a new athletic director to help with the investigation upon Dye's resignation as A.D. Meanwhile, both Eric Ramsey and his wife, Twilitta, graduated from Auburn wearing bulletproof vests during commencement.
The scandal further evolved in October 1992 when Pat Dye finally acknowledged that he did know about the illegal payments to Ramsey. On November 5, 1992, the NCAA's official letter of inquiry arrived. This disclosure effectively ended his career as a college football coach although Dye did not resign until November 25, 1992, just 16 hours before the game against arch rival Alabama.
1992
The story continued and consumed the entire year of 1992. In January, Ramsey appeared on 60 Minutes60 Minutes
60 Minutes is an American television news magazine, which has run on CBS since 1968. The program was created by producer Don Hewitt who set it apart by using a unique style of reporter-centered investigation....
and repeated his allegations. Because the NCAA had requested that all parties refrain from speaking to the media, no defense was presented for Auburn.
In May 1992, Dye resigned as athletic director and was replaced by former Washington athletic director Mike Lude
Mike Lude
-External links:...
, who was also president of the Blockbuster Bowl. Lude was also well connected at the NCAA, and the hope was that he would enable Auburn to deal with the inevitable penalties.
On November 11, 1992, the NCAA's formal letter of inquiry arrived at Auburn. The football program was charged with nine violations, one that directly implicated Dye. The investigation determined that Dye did know about the extra benefits Ramsey received but had not reported them to the NCAA. Dye made the situation worse by admitting to Huntsville Times reporters that he did in fact know about the illegal benefits.
Investigation
Controversy surrounded the audio tapes alleged to support Ramsey's case. Eventually, 24 tapes were transcribed. All of the tapes were later authenticated by an audio tape specialist named Tom McDermott as the case went forward.Specific wrongdoings
The specifically proven allegations https://goomer.ncaa.org/wdbctx/lsdbi/LSDBI.lsdbi_menu.homepage are documented from the NCAA published findings.1. During a December 1989 visit by the student-athlete to the representative's residence, the representative provided between $400 and $500 cash and four new tires (approximate value of $350) for the young man's automobile.
2. During a February 1990 telephone conversation, the representative directed the student-athlete to mail his two delinquent car payment coupons to the representative. Subsequent to this telephone conversation, the young man mailed the coupons to the representative; and on February 20, 1990, the representative paid $299 and $278.88 to satisfy the debt utilizing money orders purchased near the representative's business.
3. In February 1990, the representative visited the young man's residence in Auburn where he provided between $100 and $200 cash to the student-athlete. In the spring of 1990, the representative [Page 9] provided $1,200 cash to a relative, who drove to the student-athlete's residence where he provided $1,200 cash to the young man.
4. During a December 1990 visit by the student-athlete to the representative's office, the representative provided $540 cash to the young man, of which $500 was a Christmas gift and $40 was to purchase gasoline.
5. Following the 1990 Hall of Fame Bowl game, the representative provided $100 cash to the student-athlete for the young man's performance in the game. Subsequent to the Hall of Fame Bowl game and prior to the 1990 football season, the representative and the student-athlete discussed a bonus payment system based upon the young man's performance in football games (e.g., big hits, touchdowns and interceptions). As a result of this agreement, the representative provided cash totaling at least $700 to the student-athlete after 1990 home football contests.
6. In the spring of 1991, following the completion of the young man's eligibility, the representative visited the student-athlete's trailer home and placed at least $250 in cash inside a trailer apartment sign. Thereafter, the representative telephoned the student-athlete and instructed the young man to look behind the trailer sign for the cash.
The Sanctions
The NCAA determined that athletics representatives had provided Ramsey with at least $4,000 of merchandise and payments as well as a booster providing Ramsey with $500. It also determined the $9,200 loan from Colonial Bank to be an NCAA violation and charged Auburn with three major ethical violations: 1) lack on institutional control; 2) unethical conduct; and 3) erroneous certification of compliance with NCAA regulations. They also mandated the dismissal of Dye as both coach and athletic director (already invoked by Dye himself) and the discontiuance of association with two boosters. In all, Auburn was specifically charged with nine violations of NCAA rules. Because the story broke before the probations of both the basketball and tennis teams began, Auburn was not considered a candidate for the repeat violator punishment by the NCAA.On August 18, 1993, Auburn was hit with some of the most severe penalties in the history of the NCAA (at that time). These included a two-year bowl ban, a one-year television ban (for the 1993 season), and the loss of 13 scholarships spread out over a four-year period. Dye was also banned from any appearance at an Auburn function until August 1995. The probation period, while enforced at the beginning of the 1993 season, did not actually start until the 1991 probations of the basketball and tennis teams ended. The probation therefore extended until Thanksgiving 1995.
Aftermath
Ramsey has not been seen or heard from publicly in over a decade. Auburn replaced Dye with Samford UniversitySamford University
Samford University, founded as Howard College is a private, coeducational, Alabama Baptist Convention-affiliated university located in Homewood, a suburb of Birmingham, Alabama, United States. It includes the , Cumberland School of Law, McWhorter School of Pharmacy, Brock School of Business, Ida V....
coach Terry Bowden
Terry Bowden
Terry Bowden is an American football coach at the University of North Alabama. Bowden was previously the head coach at Salem University , Samford University , and Auburn University . Bowden is the son of former Florida State University head football coach Bobby Bowden...
. They also recovered quite well, going unbeaten in their first twenty games of Bowden's tenure before tying Georgia on November 11, 1994. The following week, their unbeaten string came to an end in the Iron Bowl as Alabama prevailed, 21-14. The Tigers eventually won the 1997 SEC Western Division championship.
Sources
- Thomas, Robert McG., Jr.Robert McG. ThomasRobert McGill Thomas, Jr. was an American journalist who worked for many years at The New York Times, and who has become particularly noted for the obituaries he wrote for that newspaper. He wrote under the name Robert McG. Thomas; more than thirty of his obituaries were included in the...
(August 19, 1993). FOOTBALL; Tapes bring Auburn penalties. - Brown, Scott and Collier, Will. "The Uncivil War: The Iron Bowl, 1981-1994.