TideSports.com On Callowaygate

[AUChizad]

http://alabama.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1209768

Exclusive: UA Looking into Calloway Allegations

Aaron Suttles
TideSports.com Senior Recruiting Analyst

Talk about it in Talk of Champions
RUSSELLVILLE | University of Alabama athletic department officials spent the day in Franklin County on Friday investigating a report of impermissible enticements in the recruitment of Russellville High School football player Brent Calloway.

Calloway signed with the Alabama football program in February as part of the 2011 signing class, ending his see-saw recruitment. Calloway originally verbally committed to Alabama in the summer of 2009 before switching to in-state rival Auburn in the weeks leading up to National Signing Day. His last-minute change of heart saw him sign with the Crimson Tide.

Brent Calloway switched his commitment back to Alabama on National Signing Day.
UA compliance department officials interviewed Calloway, Russellville resident Darren Woodruff, bank officials at First Metro Bank and Calloway's adopted father, Harland Lindsey Winston, known as "Peaches."

At issue are allegations made Thursday morning by Auburn Rivals reporter Jeffrey Lee on Mobile radio station WSNP. Among Lee's allegations were that an Alabama supporter - subsequently identified as Woodruff -- paid Winston $2,500 for Calloway to commit to Alabama, as well as supplying Calloway a new car. Lee also alleged Woodruff pulled Calloway out of school in the days leading up to signing day, taking him on a trip to Florida.

Woodruff declined comment to TideSports on Friday other than to say, "I'm confident the truth will come out." Wait, I thought declining to comment means he must be guilty? Right Jay Barker? Wasn't that the case for Cecil Newton, Gene Chizik, and recently Auburn officials in response to the HBO stuff? What's good for the goose is good for the bammer.

Woodruff took a late-model Chevrolet Camaro - the vehicle in question - on an extended test drive, keeping the car for three days before returning it due to the way it rode at high speeds, according to Ricky Danley, the new cars sales manager at Long-Lewis Ford in Muscle Shoals. "Extended test drive"? How long would this "extended test drive have been had he not "returned it due to the way it rode at high speeds"? Sounds more like questions started being asked and he was forced to turn it back over. And how exactly does a 17 year old kid just get to test drive a car for 3 days (longer, had it not "rode at high speeds"), when you can't even rent a car until you're 21. I'm pretty sure I can't do that and I'm 28.

"He was looking at trading in for a Camaro, so he took it for a couple of days to test drive," Danley said. "He and his wife drove it around, and he brought it back in and said that at certain speeds it was riding rough. I offered to change the tires, but he opted to pass.

"Darren has bought 20 or so vehicles from me in the past 13 years, and we have a good relationship. He never bought the car. He only test drove it." Lolwhut?

Russellville High Principal Tim Guinn spends his morning monitoring the student parking lot. He said he has never seen Calloway drive any car, much less a Camaro.

"I don't believe any of these allegations are true. No, not one of them," Guinn said. "Between me and the assistant principal, we're in that lot every day, and ? we've never seen Brent driving. Now he's gotten into a car as a passenger, but never a driver. He does not have a parking space on campus. Word would have gotten back to us if he was driving a new car." Get your story straight. He at least had the car for three days...

As for Calloway missing school in the days before signing day, Guinn said he approved the time off, although he doesn't know if Calloway left the state or not.

"'Peaches' called me and said that Brent was under a lot of pressure. He was getting a lot of phone calls and unannounced visitors at his house. He felt it was in Brent's best interest to leave school for a while.

"This is something that we do for every child, not just athletes. I have excused a child for a mission trip. I have excused a child for a hunting trip with his dad. I've approved multiple family trips. This isn't something we did just for Brent."

[AUsweetheart]

Took the words right out of my mouth on all of it.

Chad, I love you, man.

[No Huddle]

Real talk I have test drove many cars over the weekend and such. None you have ever done that?

[Buzz Killington]

Real talk I have test drove many cars over the weekend and such. None you have ever done that?

I took my last purchase on an "extended" test drive that lasted overnight. 

[The Prowler]

If he "test drove" the vehicle across State lines, without telling the dealership...wouldn't that be considered Grand Theft Auto?

[JR4AU]

If he "test drove" the vehicle across State lines, without telling the dealership...wouldn't that be considered Grand Theft Auto?

There's a video game called Grand Theft Auto.

[RWS]

http://alabama.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1209768

Extended test drive"? How long would this "extended test drive have been had he not "returned it due to the way it rode at high speeds"? Sounds more like questions started being asked and he was forced to turn it back over. And how exactly does a 17 year old kid just get to test drive a car for 3 days (longer, had it not "rode at high speeds"), when you can't even rent a car until you're 21. I'm pretty sure I can't do that and I'm 28.

Nothing in Lee's story says that BC had the car. The story this whole time has been that Woodruff was given a car for BC signing with Alabama. Prowler has been supporting this story since whenever he made the post about it like a month ago. The TideSports story (the part you responded to) says that Woodruff is the one that had the car. You're the one that keeps interjecting that BC had the car.

Get your story straight. He at least had the car for three days...

Again, you're the only one interjecting that BC had the car. If I'm trying to find out about this car, I'm going to ask the dad what he knows about it. I'm going to ask the guy who sold it. I'm going to ask the guy who bought it. I'm going to ask anybody who might have spotted the car if they saw it. Woodruff had the car for 3 days. You're the one that can't seem to keep the story straight.

[Kaos]

If he "test drove" the vehicle across State lines, without telling the dealership...wouldn't that be considered Grand Theft Auto?

When I bought my truck, David Langner was the sales manager.  He looked like shit. 

I was wobbling between a Nissan and a Toyota.  The Nissan place told me to take the truck for the weekend, see if I liked it.  I told him I had a few places to go, but he said no worries. 

Well I had to go to Huntsville Friday night for a football game.  Then I went to Auburn Saturday for another football game.  From there I went to Destin.  And then back to the dealership Monday. 

I had nearly 900 miles on it.  The sales guy shit his slacks.  Langner smoked 14 cigarettes and mumbled something.  He had a stain on his shirt. 

They were super pissed.  Until I agreed to buy it.  At a discount.   I never saw that sales guy again.  Not sure he survived the fallout.

[JR4AU]

When I bought my truck, David Langner was the sales manager.  He looked like shit. 

I was wobbling between a Nissan and a Toyota.  The Nissan place told me to take the truck for the weekend, see if I liked it.  I told him I had a few places to go, but he said no worries. 

Well I had to go to Huntsville Friday night for a football game.  Then I went to Auburn Saturday for another football game.  From there I went to Destin.  And then back to the dealership Monday. 

I had nearly 900 miles on it.  The sales guy shit his slacks.  Langner smoked 14 cigarettes and mumbled something.  He had a stain on his shirt. 

They were super pissed.  Until I agreed to buy it.  At a discount.   I never saw that sales guy again.  Not sure he survived the fallout.

                                                                                                                     

[The Prowler]

So, Woodruff takes a brand new Camaro, puts over a thousand miles on it...now it isn't new anymore.  It can now be sold for a lot cheaper price.  I wonder if he did that with the other 20 cars he purchased or test drove?  I think I remember another story involving moving cars from state to state to drive the new off so that they can be auctioned off at a cheaper price.

[GH2001]

So, Woodruff takes a brand new Camaro, puts over a thousand miles on it...now it isn't new anymore.  It can now be sold for a lot cheaper price.  I wonder if he did that with the other 20 cars he purchased or test drove?  I think I remember another story involving moving cars from state to state to drive the new off so that they can be auctioned off at a cheaper price.

I see what you did there.