Over the weekend Thayer Evans of FOXSports.com revealed more about the relationship between Houston-based street agent Willie Lyles and the University of Oregon football program.
(NCAA violation if Lyles also determined to be Oregon booster)
In a series of meticulously-detailed articles backed by what I’ve since confirmed to be taped interviews, Evans followed up on recent reports from Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports and Joe Schad and Mark Schlabach of ESPN.com that the University of Oregon in its 2010 school budget cut a $25,000 check to Lyles for “recruiting services” under the auspices of a newly-formed, one-person company called “Complete Scouting Services.”
The check to Lyles was processed less than two months after Oregon landed Texas high school football recruit and current Duck running back Lache Seastrunk. Lyles was known to have a close association with Seastrunk and Oregon throughout the recruiting process.
The UO invoice to Lyles showed the Ducks football program received videos of recruits from 22 states from Lyles though the school has yet to produce those videos to the media and/or the public.
Yahoo’s Robinson, who broke the documented payment from the University of Oregon to Lyles, wrote on March 3 of the possible ramification of that transaction:
If Lyles and Flenory aided in or were involved in any way in the recruitment of student athletes to Oregon, they would be classified as boosters by the NCAA, and any payment to them from the school would be considered a violation of Bylaw 13. Bylaw 13 prohibits boosters from directing a recruit to a school.
So when it comes to Lyles and Oregon, what the NCAA wants to know is if Lyles fits the NCAA definition of a booster. If Lyles does, the payment to Lyles would be considered an NCAA violation.
The NCAA’s criteria for a booster, or “representative of the institution’s athletics interests” (NCAA bylaw 13.02.14):
an individual, independent agency, corporate entity (e.g., apparel or equipment manufacturer) or other organization who is known (or who should have been known) by a member of the institution’s executive or athletics administration to:
(a) Have participated in or to be a member of an agency or organization promoting the institution’s intercollegiate athletics program;
(b) Have made financial contributions to the athletics department or to an athletics booster organization of that institution;
(c) Be assisting or to have been requested (by the athletics department staff) to assist in the recruitment of prospective student-athletes;
(d) Be assisting or to have assisted in providing benefits to enrolled student-athletes or their families; or
(e) Have been involved otherwise in promoting the institution’s athletics program.
Once an individual, independent agency, corporate entity or other organization is identified as such a representative, the person, independent agency, corporate entity or other organization retains that identity indefinitely. (PDF link)
To confirm the nature of Lyles’ relationship with the Oregon football program, Evans talked to current Oregon running back LaMichael James, current quarterback Darron Thomas and current Oregon assistant football coach Gary Campbell.
Evans reported on the germination of the relationship between Lyles and current Oregon running back Seastrunk in an article titled, “Texas to Oregon: Divinely inspired journey?”
A reputed Houston-based “street agent,” Lyles met Seastrunk at a Texas A&M camp the summer before the player’s junior year of high school. Shortly thereafter, the two attended a summer football camp at LSU with Seastrunk’s mother, Evelyn Seastrunk.
Soon, Lyles was staying several days a week at a house where Seastrunk and his mother lived.
From that it’s also important to note that until Seastrunk was known as a high school football prospect, Lyles had no prior relationship with him or his family.
Oregon starting quarterback Darron Thomas said of Lyles in another FOXSports.com piece:
“He brings a lot of Texas to this team — a guy that Coach Chip Kelly and them out there now recruiting in Texas a lot. Like I said, he’s a big recruiting guy just leading guys.”
Oregon star LaMichael James on Lyles in the same story:
“He’s very influential to me and I know to Lache and just different players.”
In an article titled “Is Lyles most powerful street agent?“, Evans reported that Lyles accompanied Oregon assistant coach Gary Campbell to at least two Texas High Schools - Clear Springs High School and Andy Dekaney High School - while Campbell was recruiting football players for the Ducks in 2010. Evans:
Campbell said he did visit high schools with Lyles, but doesn’t recall how often.
From the comments of current Oregon players Thomas and James and the nature of Lyles’ relationship to Seastrunk and Oregon assistant coach Campbell, it’s hard not to conclude that Lyles doesn’t fit what the NCAA defines as a “representative of the institution’s athletics interests” in bylaw 13.02.14.
In other words, a booster.
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12:40 pm on March 14th, 2011
By definition, it is IMPOSSIBLE to conclude that Lyles is NOT a booster: “…assisting or to have been requested (by the athletics department staff) to assist in the recruitment of prospective student-athletes”. Lyles accompanied Campbell to at least two high schools while on a recruiting trip. This whole thing is just dirty as hell.
12:58 pm on March 14th, 2011
I agree it is hard not to come to the conclusion he is a “booster” by these definitions.
Question though: If a school is innocently paying a scouting service, any service doesn’t have to involve Lyles, and they are asked to focus their services on kids that fit a specific system (hypothetical here) isn’t that in and of itself “…assist(ing) in the recruitment of a prospective student athletes”?
That’s why this whole thing is murky, at what point does booster status begin. Technically any scouting, information provided about a recruit, etc… can all be considered “assisting” the school in the recruitment of a student athlete
On a side note, the interviews with the players were conducted in January; before this whole thing broke. Thomas’ quote is taken entirely out of context (or at least that’s what I’ve been told by someone who was in the room during the interview), but we won’t know until we hear the tapes ourselves
1:24 pm on March 14th, 2011
If this is meticulous journalism, I’d hate to see what laissez-faire journalisms amounted to!
1:43 pm on March 14th, 2011
Clearly he’s a street agent,and clearly he’s a booster to whichever program is paying.A one man recruiting service?How is he covering 12 states,and providing video?lol..Cant wait until oregon produces an edited youtube highlite reel,and claims it to be Lyles..
1:54 pm on March 14th, 2011
Huh Brooks? You posted a story last week where Lyles was on the USC campus with Seastrunk and implied that, without Pete Carroll leaving for the NFL, that Lache would most likely end up a Trojan. In fact, you posted a video and then added, “…it isn’t hard to understand why main media reporters and recruiting experts thought Seastrunk a lock for USC.”
So again, if Oregon had Lyles “on the payroll” as you imply - why would the prized recruit be considered a lock to USC just weeks before signing day?
However, if Lyles was a paid scout by the Ducks - isn’t it his job to bring recruits to the attention of the Ducks?
What doesn’t make sense here is if Carroll doesn’t leave to the NFL - and Seastrunk commits to the Trojans (as expected)… then where would the “smoking gun” be?
After all, Lyles helped LSU coaches the same way he did for Oregon’s Coach Campbell - and Thayer Evans reported on Trevon Randle (who had a relationship with Lyles too) and how he signed with LSU.
So if Lyles is an Oregon “booster” (like you say), how come all his prized recruits aren’t coming to Oregon?
2:10 pm on March 14th, 2011
Greenenvy - If Seastrunk goes USC, Oregon doesn’t pay Lyles $25,000. Get it?
2:22 pm on March 14th, 2011
Haha,they dont get it bro.HE DOESNT WORK FOR 1 SCHOOL..HE BRINGS PLAYERS TO THE HIGHEST BIDDER.Petey left,along with what i guess would be 25k..so Oregons 25k was next in line…GET IT?..
2:56 pm on March 14th, 2011
who pays 25k for a five star recruit nowadays? i hear you gotta cough up at least 180k for a star recruit. oh but even if you prove that someone was asking for that money, it doesnt necessarily mean that they were ever paid. whereas if only a fraction of this claim is said to have occurred in the pac10…
3:58 pm on March 14th, 2011
By all accounts Lyles was living with Seastrunk’s mother (at least for a short time), and LaMichael James took him as his guest to the ESPN awards show. Now, is this guy mentoring kids, mentoring their mothers, or providing video tape and contact information in an unbiased manner to interested universities??? This guy stinks more than Foothill Lake.
4:20 pm on March 14th, 2011
I certainly hope some other scouting services with owners who have a lighter complexion get some scrutiny too - because this is looking pretty “iffy” at the moment. Did anyone notice that in Thayer’s article, the minute Seastrunk’s coach (Bryce Monsen) felt himself being shut out of Lache’s recruitment, he quickly placed a call to Texas’ OC Major Applewhite?
Applewhite then proceeded to bad mouth Lyles - although he had no more evidence than the general “he’s bad for kids”. The translation? Lyles might actually be helping these kids find a better opportunity than joining Texas’ logjam at every position - and that pissed Texas off. Hence the call to the NCAA.
So if Monsen was “steering” his players to Texas - would he be considered a “booster” in this situation?
By the way, Thayer reported that LSU paid Lyles too. An LSU coach had Lyles with him while visiting a high school. And a star recruit with a relationship to Lyles signed with LSU in February.
Is that a violation too? Are there more?
5:30 pm on March 14th, 2011
Greenenvy,
It’s funny you say “Lyles might actually be helping these kids find a better opportunity than joining Texas’s logjam
at every position”
Why don’t you take a look at Oregon’s roster and all the RB they have. They are loaded at RB more than any other position, Seastrunk may never see the field at Oregon! I hear he was pissed he didn’t see the field last year. LMJ, Barner are back this year and now the Black Mamba rolls into town. To me it looks like he didn’t help him out by selling him to Oregon.
11:43 pm on March 14th, 2011
Seastrunk can be as pissed as he wants - but Kelly makes no apologies about playing the best player at the position.
The news on Seastrunk was that he wanted to bounce all his runs outside - like he did in high school - to beat defenders with his speed. And while it worked in HS - it didn’t work against defensive players with D-1 speed.
However, as for getting playing time, Oregon experienced losing Barner for several games last season… and played a gimpy James for a portion of the season too. If Lache proves to be the 5* player he should be - he’ll get his carries.
12:44 am on March 15th, 2011
Seems to me a recruiting service can bring the attention of the Ducks to recruits. And I see no problem with him introducing recruits to Duck coaches. As long as he doesn’t force players to go to a particular school, he’s serving as a facilitator of relationships and proving opportunities, not guarantees, for a mutually beneficial relationship that from the introduction forward should solely belong to the players, their family, and the coaches. I haven’t seen any evidence yet that there’s anything more to this than that. Lots of innuendo in the writing but no proof.
5:36 am on March 15th, 2011
Yep, sorry guys, this is definitely not going to end up well for Oregon. The only people who don’t believe Oregon paid for Lache (or at least “tipped” him 25k for his “good work”), are a remaining few duck fans who have those green goggles glued on WAY too tightly. It’s just a sport guys, and I don’t like how our team is gaining this reputation for being a bunch of thug cheaters. It’s time to drop the hammer and get things cleaned up in college football.
9:02 am on March 15th, 2011
This is a story has not been fully investigated. It appears others schools are ‘associated’ with Lyles (LSU has come into play). It is not clear how many coaches Lyles has attended meetings when visiting schools but it appears several. His videos are on line so a school would not have them in hand. Can you be a booster to several schools? Does introducing Coaches to high school coaches and players equal leading players? My guess this story will end up being more about Lyles than the schools he has worked for.
9:31 am on March 15th, 2011
I could give a rip about the Lone Star state, the Big 12 or whatever, but it looks like a clear case of don’t mess with Texas.
Oregon overstepped its bounds in that state where, no matter the $ and machinery of Nike, you don’t waltz in and out with their better prospects without the cheatin you do all over the country finally being attended to.
No one doubts that you could not field any team of the sort you imagine yourself to be without the Nike $’s advantages. It will be fun to watch you go down
9:58 am on March 15th, 2011
WILL IF THE NCAA DOES DECIDE THAT LYLES ISA BOOSTER OF OREGON,THEN ANY SCHOOL THAT HAS USED LYLES SERVICE IS GUILTY OF THE SAME RULE. SO IF I WAS A SCHOOL IN THE SEC,I WOULD BE WORRIED TOO.ALL OF THE SEC HAS USED LYLES! MACK(THE WHINER)BROWN OF TEXASS GOT TIRED OF ALL THE BEST RB IN TEXASS GOING TO OREGON!!
10:55 am on March 15th, 2011
Thepar - Texas stopped recruiting Seastrunk after he visited Texas with Lyles in tow. AT THE TIME many message boards said it was because he wanted to get paid. What do you know, Oregon paid.
11:20 am on March 15th, 2011
what i want to know is what is the relationships between Texas and the high school coaches who refuse to send video tape of their players to out of state schools trying to recruit their players???
we keep talking about money, are these high school coaches filling their pockets with Texas cash to keep recruits in state???????
if so who is the agent then
these people are the ones slinging mud!!!
i can see Texas they are losing talent
but the high school coaches should be giving their players all the exposure they can get!! not lock out different out of state schools!!!
argue with that !!!!!
who is complaining !!!!!!!!!!
looks like the good old boy team of Texas and their high school employee coaches are losing players and they are not happy!!!
carefull when you throw rocks and you are in a glass house!!!
what i find convincing is they strart will seastrunk, then they add lamichael james, then deanthony thomas, then wallace, and then most of oregons top recruits the last 3 years!!
ducks made 1 payment of $25,000 to lyles which was said to be $8,000 more then they spent the year before with lyles then employer and by the way $25k is the going rate this year at a different recruiting co. and oregon is using them this year as is 8 of 10 pac 10 teams are, then around $3,000 with 1 outher recruiting service.
so $11,000 bought all of these players (3 to 10 or more) under your way $1,000 per player?? too cheap
and if he split it with the players what did they get $550
do you really think giving a 4 or 5 * recruit $550 dollars will get the kid to go to oregon.
follow the money, what money $550 dollars per recruit.
come on now, but if you look at the complainers and now we need to see if we can follow the money there!!!
i will bet someone from Texas was behind this story about the ducks
shamefull that fingers are pointed yet our youth in football are not being treated faily by those coaches who coach them. looks to me like maybe they have sold themselves to Texas and to hell with kids best interest
where is the money???
11:27 am on March 15th, 2011
It all comes down to what Seastrunk says. If he has valid reasons as to why he came to Oregon such as “Oregon looked like they could go to a BCS championship game before I signed with them and apparently I was correct because they did play for the 2011 BCS championship”, then everything will be just fine.
It’s all going to come down to what he says.
7:11 pm on March 15th, 2011
Greenenvy,
1) Applewhite badmouthed Lyles because everyone in Central Texas knows he is a street agent. This isn’t a secret and this isn’t new news to those of us in Texas. (notice the date: http://barkingcarnival.fantake.com/2009/06/21/the-street-agent-%E2%80%93-here-to-destroy-your-college-football-soul/)
2) If Monsen is steering players to Texas it is only a violation if Texas pays him for ANY service. Sort of like how Oregon paid Lyles
3) Looks like LSU is going down with this too. See that Barking Carnival article for more.
12:06 pm on March 17th, 2011
The original asking price for Seastrunk was $200,000. After declines by several schools, the price fell.
12:35 pm on March 18th, 2011
The Fox Sports report leaves little doubt that Lyles provided input to players regarding their eventual college destinations but did NOT reveal an instance of Lyles pressuring a player to commit to a specific school, and in fact illustrated that Lyles had relationships with recruits who signed with several programs around the country.