Woodruff Tells the Story

[Townhallsavoy]

Because he should know, right?  An old man should know these things, and we should trust him. 

Darren Woodruff explains why Brent Calloway switched from Auburn to Alabama

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama - More than two months later, Brent Calloway's signature on a letter of intent to play football at Alabama remains a hot-button issue.

Why did the Russellville High School running back, who'd committed to Alabama in July, 2009, then switched his commitment to Auburn in January of this year, finally settle on Alabama?

Did that decision stem from pressure put on him by his adopted father and a family friend, an admitted Alabama fan? Or did it relieve pressure put on him by a high school coach that graduated from Auburn?

And did any potential NCAA violations occur?

Darren Woodruff believes he has some answers, and he shared his feelings Tuesday in a lengthy interview with The Birmingham News.

Woodruff is a long-time friend of Calloway's adopted father, Peaches Winston, and says he befriended Calloway as well when Winston took him in as a ninth-grader at Russellville.

"Brent's like a son to me," Woodruff said.

Calloway's final change of heart came after he visited Tuscaloosa on the last weekend before signing day. That visit, Woodruff said, was the key to the decision for several reasons.

Kevin Scarbinsky is a columnist for The Birmingham News. His column is published on Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday.One, it came three days after Auburn received a public verbal commitment from Lake Worth, Fla., running back Tre Mason. One of Calloway's reasons for committing to Auburn in early January was the opportunity to play running back, a position with little depth.

"He mentioned that Auburn had promised him they would not recruit another running back, and they had one to commit," Woodruff said. "That had some bearing on it."

Calloway himself told TideSports.com in an interview Tuesday that, when it came to recruiting other running backs, Auburn had misled him.

The next step in Calloway's final switch, according to Woodruff, was a heated phone conversation between Winston and then-Russellville High coach Doug Goodwin that took place Saturday Jan. 29 during Calloway's final visit to Tuscaloosa. Winston accompanied Calloway on that trip. Woodruff didn't, but he said Calloway relayed the conversation to Woodruff shortly afterward by phone.

"Brent said, 'Darren, you ain't gonna believe this. Coach Goodwin has called my daddy and jumped on him for bringing me down here.' If anybody wants to know what the deciding factor is, this was a pretty decisive moment, and Coach Goodwin calls down there and says some pretty hard things to Peaches."

Goodwin, who left Russellville to become the head coach at Homewood, declined to address the specifics of that phone conversation with Winston. "My players and coaches, I love every one of them, and they know that," Goodwin said Tuesday. "All I've ever wanted was what was best for them."

The third factor in Calloway's final decision, Woodruff said, was the positive way he felt about Alabama during that final visit. "He told me, when he got back down there, he felt like he was at home," Woodruff said.

Calloway didn't return home to Russellville immediately after his last visit to Tuscaloosa. Instead, at Winston's request, Woodruff picked Calloway up in Tuscaloosa that Sunday and took him along on what he said was a planned two-day business trip to Florida. Woodruff said that Winston called him that Sunday morning and told him Calloway "did not want to go back to school. Did not want to face Coach Goodwin. He said Coach Goodwin was going to pressure him."

Goodwin denied that accusation. "I've never tried to influence a kid with his college decision and never will," Goodwin said. "That's unprofessional. I don't think that's my place."

Woodruff's place in Calloway's life and his recruitment has been questioned since last Thursday when AuburnSports.com writer Jeffrey Lee, on Mobile radio station WNSP, made allegations about recruiting improprieties by an unnamed "supporter of Alabama, not an alumni or booster," connected to Calloway.

Al.com and TideSports.com both identified Woodruff as that Alabama supporter. Woodruff challenged Lee to provide evidence to support his charges.

"He alleges that I took Brent Calloway to Alabama the last visiting weekend before signing day," Woodruff said. "He alleges that I made cash payments to Peaches Winston. He alleges that I paid (Winston) at least $2,500 on at least one occasion. He alleges that I paid his mortgage off and/or helped catch his mortgage up. He alleges that I provided Brent Calloway with a new car, which Calloway drove to school. He alleges that I promised Brent Calloway $1,200 a month. He also said he would be back with the information and the proof and the evidence. My question is, 'Where is the evidence, Jeffrey Lee?' I'm calling him out.

"I've had eggs thrown at my car. I've had my mailbox knocked down. I've been called a child molester, a sexual offender. I've been slandered nationwide. I want to know where this evidence is. I adamantly deny all of those wrongdoings. Every one of them. Every one of them is a lie."

Lee declined Tuesday to respond to Woodruff.

Woodruff said he reported the downed mail box to the police and is having surveillance cameras installed on his property. He also responded to a number of charges against him, often in detail.

On the charge that he helped recruit Calloway for Alabama or tried to push him in that direction: "I wasn't involved in his recruiting," Woodruff said. "I didn't help him make his decision. I didn't influence him which way to go."

Woodruff, who said Alabama is his favorite team and Auburn's second, added that he took Calloway on unofficial visits to the majority of Alabama's home games in 2009 "because Brent asked me to."

On the charge that he bought a red Camaro for Calloway: Woodruff said he test-drove the car for himself. Before he decided not to buy it, a friend saw it parked at Woodruff's house and kidded him about buying it for Calloway. To respond to the joke, Woodruff said, he put a picture of himself standing next to the Camaro on his Facebook page. "Brent never even saw that car," Woodruff said.

On the picture that's popped up on fan message boards that shows Woodruff wearing what looks like a pass at an Alabama game: He said that picture was taken in front of a mural in the recruiting room at Bryant-Denny Stadium during one of his trips to a game with Calloway, not on the sideline. He added that the lanyard he's wearing is given to unofficial visitors and their guests.

On the suggestion that he got angry when Calloway switched his commitment from Alabama to Auburn at the U.S. Army All-American Game in San Antonio in January: Woodruff said he drove through the remnants of a winter storm to pick up Calloway at the Huntsville airport when Calloway returned from San Antonio "after he committed to Auburn."

"I am not anti-Auburn," Woodruff said. "Some of my best friends are Auburn graduates and Auburn fans. I've got a business partner that's an Auburn booster." Woodruff also said that his father-in-law "is the biggest Auburn fan that you'll ever meet."

Goodwin, a 1984 Auburn graduate, offered similar feelings in the opposite direction. "I don't have anything against the University of Alabama or any other program," he said. "Anyone who has a chance to play there is a lucky individual. I think Nick Saban does a great job as the coach there."

So where does this he-said, he-said story go from here? No one can say for sure, but Woodruff said he has not been contacted by the NCAA.

"All this scrutiny I've been under, if I had it to do all over again, I'd do it again," Woodruff said. "That's how much I think of Brent."

 

Got something to say about Kevin's column? Drop a civil comment below, or write him at kscarbinsky@bhamnews.com.

[War Eagle!!!]

Bull fucking shit on the Tre Mason thing. Anyone that followed recruiting knows this is complete and utter bullshit...

The whole god damn article is bullshit. It's like the more they talk, the fucking dumber they look...

[Townhallsavoy]

Bull fucking shit on the Tre Mason thing. Anyone that followed recruiting knows this is complete and utter bullshit...

The whole god damn article is bullshit. It's like the more they talk, the fucking dumber they look...

"Brent never even saw that car," Woodruff said.

[Buzz Killington]

Bull fucking shit on the Tre Mason thing. Anyone that followed recruiting knows this is complete and utter bullshit...

The whole god damn article is bullshit. It's like the more they talk, the fucking dumber they look...

To us.  This will go away quickly unless JLee has some more concrete evidence to release.

[Townhallsavoy]

To us.  This will go away quickly unless JLee has some more concrete evidence to release.

This man speaketh the truthest. 

It stinks to high heavens.  It's almost laughable how dirty this all is. 

But still, nothing conclusive yet.  Nothing tangible.  Just stank ass fish.

[War Eagle!!!]

This man speaketh the truthest. 

It stinks to high heavens.  It's almost laughable how dirty this all is. 

But still, nothing conclusive yet.  Nothing tangible.  Just stank ass fish.

Once again...I agree. I hope J. Lee has proof or he is no better than the fuckers spreading rumors about Cam...

[Townhallsavoy]

Once again...I agree. I hope J. Lee has proof or he is no better than the fuckers spreading rumors about Cam...

More speaketh of the truth.

However, if this is a deflection and a reflection, then it's been done with mastery. 

This so far is EXACTLY the same as the Cam rumors.  And Alabama has produced the same reaction we did. 

The only difference is that ESPN and Goat Rapists haven't jumped on board yet.

[The Prowler]

The other difference, THS, is that Callowaygate is coming from a person that has never been part of ANY of the mudslinging from the Fishing Trip(s), to the Agentgate, to the Chargergate, to the Seastrunkgate.  None of 'em.  Jeffrey Lee has actual quotes from actual people with actual dates.  Camgate had, unnamed sources close to sources, Thayer, Schad, Thamel, "imagine this" stories with the FBI, CIA, CSI, Mafia, Fringe Division, Bingogate, Victorylandgate...you name it, all lumped together.

[Townhallsavoy]

The other difference, THS, is that Callowaygate is coming from a person that has never been part of ANY of the mudslinging from the Fishing Trip(s), to the Agentgate, to the Chargergate, to the Seastrunkgate.  None of 'em.  Jeffrey Lee has actual quotes from actual people with actual dates.  Camgate had, unnamed sources close to sources, Thayer, Schad, Thamel, "imagine this" stories with the FBI, CIA, CSI, Mafia, Fringe Division, Bingogate, Victorylandgate...you name it, all lumped together.

Actual quotes from whom?  Stancil?  The Forrest Gump sounding guy? 

[The Prowler]

Actual quotes from whom?  Stancil?  The Forrest Gump sounding guy? 

Doug Goodwin, a well respect HS HC. No matter how hard you seemingly try to debunk J.Lee and this obvious cheating situation...it ain't going away.  It's possible, very possible, the rug will be pulled back a little further to reveal more rotten wood underneath.  From SPuat on down to the HS ranks.

[Townhallsavoy]

Doug Goodwin, a well respect HS HC. No matter how hard you seemingly try to debunk J.Lee and this obvious cheating situation...it ain't going away.  It's possible, very possible, the rug will be pulled back a little further to reveal more rotten wood underneath.  From SPuat on down to the HS ranks.

I'd love it. 

But until then, I'm not playing the Scott Moore game. 

It may be different.  But it's not that much different.

[The Prowler]

I'd love it. 

But until then, I'm not playing the Scott Moore game. 

It may be different.  But it's not that much different.

I agree, on the surface it's nearly identical...until you pull back the first layer and realize the stark differences between Scottie & Jeffrey.  Two completely different types.  One is a blowhard, wife beating, rumor mongoring, website blogger, with a hatred towards all things Auburn and would love to watch Auburn burn to the ground with the entire Auburn fanbase inside and the other isn't anything like that at all.