Ben Duvall, an Apollo High School all stater, verbally committs to Purdue before his senior season. Plays all season and earns all-state, knowing that his future is at Purdue and he can enjoy his last year of high school with his plans made. Purdue pulls his offer after that saying a medical concern was the reason. Ben admits to taking some hard hits this year and he used the word concussion "for lack of a better word" while he has never had a concussion and has the medical records to prove it. The fact is Purdue finds a recurit they did not expect to get and pulls the scholarship leaving Ben to look for another program and maybe putting another kid in ths same sitution..IMO, by any standard of measurement, this is wrong

That's flat-out ridiculous and will remind myself of schools doing this to kids the next time a kid changes his verbal comittment.

Ben Duvall, an Apollo High School all stater, verbally committs to Purdue before his senior season. Plays all season and earns all-state, knowing that his future is at Purdue and he can enjoy his last year of high school with his plans made. Purdue pulls his offer after that saying a medical concern was the reason. Ben admits to taking some hard hits this year and he used the word concussion "for lack of a better word" while he has never had a concussion and has the medical records to prove it. The fact is Purdue finds a recruit they did not expect to get and pulls the scholarship leaving Ben to look for another program and maybe putting another kid in the same situation..IMO, by any standard of measurement, this is wrong

Was Purdue's response a policy, regarding concussion related instances or discussion, after Duvall had taken a physical and revealed possible injury related trauma.

 

The entire goal is to get his education and hopefully, he can sign with another school and continue. I wish the Apollo star well.

I believe that if a college pulls a scholarship without just cause, they should have to pay for the kid's scholarship elsewhere.

Just like a verbal comittment is not binding, neither is an offer. Until the LOI is signed either party can back out. I don't think that's a good way to do business because of the potential negativity that it could cause for the school. By the same token I think it's deplorable for an athlete to make a verbal only to back out of it at the 11th hour.

 

Like it or not College sports, particularly football and men's basketball, are a business and the players are just pieces of that business. The pressure to win has gotten so great that coaches will go to lengths that they didn't have to before to protect themselves.

 

I am sorry for the young man in question but unfortunately that is the reality of big time college sports. A harsh life lesson, but a lesson none the less.

What position does this kid play?

Just like a verbal comittment is not binding, neither is an offer. Until the LOI is signed either party can back out. I don't think that's a good way to do business because of the potential negativity that it could cause for the school. By the same token I think it's deplorable for an athlete to make a verbal only to back out of it at the 11th hour.

Good point and I agree.

What position does this kid play?

 

LB and he is not a bad TE also.

 

 

Looks like we have a similar situation to the Durham fiasco with UL. Turns out Petrino wasn't commited to Durham or UL. At least in Durham's case he found out a little earlier, poor Ben only has about 2 weeks left until National Signing Day.

 

Bet if Marvin Austin wanted to go to Purdue and had a concussion, he would still be welcome.

 

What a slap in the face to Ben. He was an integral part of the Eagles state runner up basketball team and gave that up to concentrate on lifting for Purdue. He didn't want Hopper to run his football weight off before heading to West Lafayette. Now he is left without a school while most schools have already used up all their schollys.

LB and he is not a bad TE also.

 

 

Looks like we have a similar situation to the Durham fiasco with UL. Turns out Petrino wasn't commited to Durham or UL. At least in Durham's case he found out a little earlier, poor Ben only has about 2 weeks left until National Signing Day.

 

Bet if Marvin Austin wanted to go to Purdue and had a concussion, he would still be welcome.

 

What a slap in the face to Ben. He was an integral part of the Eagles state runner up basketball team and gave that up to concentrate on lifting for Purdue. He didn't want Hopper to run his football weight off before heading to West Lafayette. Now he is left without a school while most schools have already used up all their schollys.

 

Well, that definately sucks. Its not illegal or anything, but it really sucks.

Just like a verbal comittment is not binding, neither is an offer. Until the LOI is signed either party can back out. I don't think that's a good way to do business because of the potential negativity that it could cause for the school. By the same token I think it's deplorable for an athlete to make a verbal only to back out of it at the 11th hour.

 

Like it or not College sports, particularly football and men's basketball, are a business and the players are just pieces of that business. The pressure to win has gotten so great that coaches will go to lengths that they didn't have to before to protect themselves.

 

I am sorry for the young man in question but unfortunately that is the reality of big time college sports. A harsh life lesson, but a lesson none the less.

 

 

Great post

I hope this doesn't become a trend....

I am sure this happens more than we realize. Sucks for the kids. But let's face it, the D1 recruiting process is a cutthroat business. They might have took it away from that kid because another kid might have backed out of his commitment somewhere else. I knew a kid that was verbally committed to UC a few years back. At the last minute, they pulled out and Purdue (ironically) presented an offer. There was no verbal commitment to the kid from Purdue, just a last minute offer. He is still there. Kids need to keep options open and ask more questions when being recruited. If the kid is a blue chipper, he should ask questions about the other athletes that are being recruited at his position (and where they are planning on going, too). It just makes sense.

Unfortunate, but it's not all that unusual.

 

What other schools is he now considering? I bet Kentucky could make room for him.

Was Purdue's response a policy, regarding concussion related instances or discussion, after Duvall had taken a physical and revealed possible injury related trauma.

 

The entire goal is to get his education and hopefully, he can sign with another school and continue. I wish the Apollo star well.

Apollo coach Carlberg offered all the information they had on Ben medically along with team doctors who had examined Ben, but Purdue never asked to talk to anybody or have him evaulated...Now get this also the coaches from Purdue called and said "if other schools contact us, we will just say Ben did not have a good visit and decided to pull out"...One last insult to the sitution..As a show also of community interest...Another local coach John Edge from Owensboro Catholic has also starting using his contacts to introduce Ben to some other coaches on the college level. That is class in my book!!!

Unfortunate, but it's not all that unusual.

 

What other schools is he now considering? I bet Kentucky could make room for him.

He is going to visit Eastern Kentucky, but also he has been contacted by Wake Forest and Western Kentucky to name a few...