Interview with Brent Calloway

[Townhallsavoy]

Not sure if free

Q: What have these past couple of months been like for you, seeing your name and your family's name questioned on a daily basis?
A: I kind of feel like I'm already in Hollywood or something. It's like every time I turn my head something is on the news, something in the newspaper, something on ESPN. Somebody just texted me saying, 'Hey, I saw you on the news.' Everywhere I go they're like, 'You're Brent, right?' I'm in Georgia and there are still people down here that know who I am and know about it. And it's ridiculous. I'm like, 'If I had the cars and the money that they say I had, I would've definitely been driving to school every day instead of riding the bus, having to get up at 6:45 every morning to get on the bus.' It's just crazy to me, man. This has been one of the most stressful times I think I'm going to ever have in my life. I don't believe any other 18- or 19-year-old should have to go through this. Period.

Q: Do you just wish you could be a regular 18-year-old kid?
A: Oh man, I wish that all the time. I tell my nephew, he says he wishes he could be like me, I say, 'You really don't.' I just wish I could be a regular kid sometimes. It's too stressing. I shouldn't have to deal with this type of stuff.

Q: Why did you originally commit to Alabama?
A: I was at Alabama almost every weekend. Alabama was like the only thing I knew. I was there all the time. I had friends that was there. I got in tight with a lot of the coaches. I had an uncle (Freddie Roach) that was on the staff at a point. It was just where I felt was right for me. And I got down there one day and one of my home boys was like, 'Man, I was talking to one of the coaches and they said they were thinking about offering you.' So I said if they offer me I'm going to go ahead and commit then. So that's what I did.

Q: Why did you have a change of heart and switch to Auburn?
A: From what they had told me, it was a bigger opportunity for me because they told me they were only going to recruit me as a running back. That would leave me, (Michael) Dyer and a walk-on in the backfield. I was like, 'That's fine.' They told me if I switched they would sign just me. So I switched. I said if I'm going to fight for a position, and I wanted to play running back any way, but (Alabama coach Nick Saban) told me I could play running back regardless if I wanted to at Alabama, but I'm like it's too deep at running back at Alabama. So I said, 'OK, I'll just commit to Auburn.' My home boy who I was tight with, Jonathan Rose, me and Jonathan Rose (who signed with Auburn) are like best friends. We stayed together all the time. In every game I played in and all the functions I went to, we stayed together every single time. I felt like this is a guy I've got down there that I can trust and count on when or if something goes wrong. Then me and Erique Florence (who also signed with Auburn) got tight. And my brother goes to Tuskegee, which is only 15-20 minutes from there. So I felt like, 'Hey, that's not a bad move.' I decided to go to Auburn.

Q: Why did you switch back to Alabama on signing day?
A: I was debating on whether to go back to Auburn that weekend because I had been the weekend before. Instead I went back to Alabama. When I got back to Alabama it was like, 'This is where I've really been. This is where I want to be.' Because they showed me love even though I switched on them on national TV. I didn't feel no hard feelings. I didn't feel awkward about being there. When I was there it felt like it had felt every time before when I was committed to them. That home-type feel. And I was like, this is where I've got to be. On top of that, Auburn signed three other running backs before I even signed. They were misleading me. Very misleading. What about those taunts from Alabama students that have been reported?  Benedict Arnold, right?

Q: Did Alabama or Auburn offer you or anyone close to you money to choose their school?
A: Heck no. I wish they would have, but they didn't.  Moron.

Q: How about cars?
A: No. You can put this in the newspaper. If I had a car, I would be driving it. I want a car so bad, but because all of this that is going on now I can't even get a car because it's just going to make it worse.  Who's telling you that you can't have a car?  Why?

Q: Did Darren Woodruff offer you or Peaches Winston money for you to go to Alabama?
A: No. Darren was willing to take me to Auburn when I asked him to take me. But I didn't go. I went to Alabama instead that weekend.

Q: On that weekend you went to Alabama instead of Auburn, did Darren or Peaches force you to go to Alabama, or was that your decision?
A: No, they can't force me to do anything. I'm 6-3, 225 pounds. You think they can force me to do anything?   This man is ready to face the challenges of living in Tuscaloosa.
Q: Have you talked to (former Russellville football coach Doug) Goodwin since you committed to Alabama?
A: Coach Goodwin hasn't said a word to me.

Q: When's the last time you talked to him?
A: When he called my name out at the banquet. At the football banquet where we get our awards. I don't even think he said anything then. That was January, way before signing day.

Q: How was your relationship when you played for him?
A: Me and Coach Goodwin had a good realtionship because of the fact that I was the like the star of the team. I was doing good for my team. I helped my team every Friday night. He knew he could count on me if something was wrong, if we were down and he needed somebody to put the ball in the end zone. He would give me the ball. We had a great relationship. He took me to Auburn. I rode with him to Auburn a couple of times. Coach Goodwin would have done anything for me if I had asked him then. Anything. Then when I switched from Alabama to Auburn, he was even happier. In fact, I think he was only one of two people happy for me. My dad was happy for me, but my dad was like, 'I don't care where you go. I just want you to be happy.' He told me, 'You look a man in the eye and tell him something, he expects you to uphold that word.' I can say that I didn't handle it the way I should have handled it the first time I switched. But that was me being me. I was just in the heat of the moment. Coach Goodwin, we had a good relationship, but after I signed, man, it was chaos. His wife (a Russellville High guidance counselor), his son (a Russellville assistant coach) and him, none of them would speak to me. None of them do.

  Maybe he doesn't like to talk to crooks and cheats?

Q: Why do you think they stopped speaking to you after you switched back to Alabama?
A: Man, everybody's got their allegations, but I don't know. I know he didn't like me going to Alabama. I don't know his exact reasons. ...

Q: What are your feelings about Coach Goodwin right now?
A: I still love Coach Goodwin like he was my coach. He was my coach all through all high school, all four years when I moved to Russellville. My feelings toward him haven't changed none. I don't like the fact that he's a grown man acting like a little kid about this. This is my decision. I go about it how I please. And it's his job as one of my coaches to be happy for whatever decision I make. That's how I felt he should've handled it instead of being mad because I didn't go to the school that he went to or the school he wanted me to go to.

Q: How many times did Coach Goodwin call or text message you in the week and the weekend before signing day?
A: Oh my goodness. Like the week of signing day I had to cut my phone off. Coach Goodwin was blowing my phone up everyday. All day long, blowing my phone up about this, this and this. 'Where you at? I need to talk to you.' Coach Goodwin was blowing my phone up. And when he found out that I was going to Alabama, it was like he started sending me crazier messages, talking about, 'I'm going to get in trouble.' I was like, 'Coach Goodwin, nobody has paid me to do anything.' He told my dad it's a shame he forced me to go. I said my dad can't force me to do nothing. Peaches is my guardian. And for that matter, he has limits on what he has say so over. And college is not a say-so any parent has over his son or daughter. That's a decision they have to make.  They didn't pay you, son.  They paid Peaches with Limes.

Q: When did you meet Darren and what were the circumstances involved?
A: I was like in ninth grade. I met him the first day I came. I wasn't as great an athlete back then. (Bullshit) I was still a little clumsy back then. But I eventually got out of that stage. Me and Darren, we got cool because he came to my church every Sunday and my dad and him were good friends because he knew ministers and my dad's a minister and Darren's a minister, so everybody kind of fellowshipped together. We go out to eat on Sundays together. He comes to my church every Sunday. So I mean our relationship just grew from fellowshipping through ministry together.   How noble.

Q: Do you feel he became friends with you because you were a football player?
A: No. Nobody in Russellville knew, and I didn't even know, that I was going to be good. Nobody knew. I just popped out of the blue. My ninth grade I had to sit out so nobody ever saw me play. Darren hadn't even seen me play. We were friends way before anybody knew or I knew I was good at football. I didn't start playing football until eighth grade.   So this old rich dude just randomly started hanging with you?  Did he video tape you in the shower?

Q: Do you feel he became friends with you to try and persuade you to go to Alabama?
A: No. When we first met I ... I've been a huge Georgia Tech fan my whole life. When we first met, I told Darren, 'Man, I'm going to Georgia Tech if I ever get good enough that they offer me.' Darren was like, 'OK, what do you want to do?' I said, 'I want to be an engineer.' He said, 'You better have about a 28 on the ACT.' I said, "That's what I'm looking for.' He didn't care. Darren's a genuinely good guy. He's a genuinely good guy. That's all there is to it. He hasn't persuaded me to do nothing. He hasn't forced me, he hasn't paid me. He hasn't done anything that has anything to do with me going to Alabama. At the end of the day, it's my decision.

Q: Why did you go with Darren to Florida right before signing day?
A: Man, I've heard and read that I was kidnapped. Coach Goodwin told people that they made me stay in Tuscaloosa. That Alabama made me stay in Tuscaloosa until signing day. He was telling everybody that. He was telling people I was still on campus. I went to Florida. No, they didn't force me. My dad was like, 'You know it's going to be pretty crazy when you get back home.' People was already telling me crazy stuff with death threats and crap. I decided to go on and go to Florida with Darren. My dad called Darren and asked if it was OK if I went to Florida with him. He was like, 'Sure that's fine.' He was going down there to do a job and I could stay in the hotel. I stayed in the hotel the whole time by myself. So I relaxed. I cut my phone off so I couldn't be contacted by anybody. That's what I did.   Believable?

Q: Did anyone influence your decision on what school to sign with?
A: Nobody did.

Q: I bet you just want things to go back to normal, don't you?
A: I do, man, I do. I want this over so I can get a freaking car. I'm tired of riding the bus everyday. I just want a car, man. That's all I want, but I can't get that because of the fact that everybody wants to act crazy over it. I don't know why anyone outside of the media or outside of Coach Saban worries about what I'm doing because they're not even in my shoes. They don't know what I go through. The fans and stuff, the boards, the message boards don't realize the weight they put on me. And they're grown. I wish I could hold like a national press conference to show somebody and let them understand how I feel about this. They really don't understand it.  Again, why can't you have a car?

 

[Buzz Killington]

That big, bad old meanie wanted me to go to Auburn.

I'm surprised that his script didn't make mention of Auburn coaches offering him money.

[wesfau2]

That big, bad old meanie wanted me to go to Auburn.

I'm surprised that his script didn't make mention of Auburn coaches offering him money.

Seems implied that Auburn was offering something to the coach.

[Townhallsavoy]

A couple of things I may be missing:

- Brent says that the weekend of signing day, he was supposed to go back to Auburn but instead went to Tuscaloosa.  When, exactly, did he disappear to Florida?  Where in Florida?

- Also, what three running backs did we sign before Calloway ever signed his LOI to Alabama?  That's some bullshit.

- Coach Goodwin is painted as a crazy, clueless asshole in this interview.  But if you think about what Goodwin was doing, he was simply warning Calloway that something shady was up.  That's my interpretation at least. 

- Why can't he get a car?  I really can't figure out why they won't let him have one unless they're worried about something.  He's already getting enough attention.  JLee is already attacking him.  Message boards are already going crazy.  If his family can afford to buy the kid a car, then he should have one, right?  And once the attention dies down, why will that be an okay time to get a car?  Perhaps that's when no one will be checking the name on the receipt?

[Buzz Killington]

Seems implied that Auburn was offering something to the coach.

Maybe.

Either way, the ball is back in JLee's court.  He'd better fire a forehand to the corner or this will be buried under 20 feet of elephant dung by the weekend.

[AuburnChopper 3.0]

That has to be one of the most rehearsed, scripted bullshit cover story ive read in a long damn time.  Very amatuerish.  Souunds like a teenager thats trying to get out of getting caught throwing a party. A few too many details and extra unnecessary commentaries that were over the top.

JMO.

[Townhallsavoy]

That has to be one of the most rehearsed, scripted bullshit cover story ive read in a long damn time.  Very amatuerish.  Souunds like a teenager thats trying to get out of getting caught throwing a party. A few too many details and extra unnecessary commentaries that were over the top.

JMO.

Yep. 

Someone from Tide Sports or UA's compliance department followed an outline.

1.  Deny everything.  No one cheated at any time.
2.  Insinuate and imply that AU might have but only do so through the obscure words of another person.
3.  Paint recruit as a fun, normal kid who is well-liked. 
4.  Sympathy
5.  Make everything seem like it's not that big of a deal.

[The Prowler]

So, Coach Goodwin & "Peaches" are liars?  Coach Goodwin stated that he was told by "peaches" that he couldn't contact BC because he was locked up in his room and not taking calls from anyone (Monday, the week of Signing Day).  Peaches stated that he told Woodruff to pick BC up in Tuscaloosa and take him out of town (Monday, the week of Signing Day)...BC's phone wasn't on while he went with Woodruff, because J.Lee, Coach Goodwin, B. Matthews and probably a handful of other recruiting people wanting to know what's going on.

[AUChizad]

http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2011/01/flipping_over_for_calloway_as.html

"That's what's in my heart," Calloway said. "I want to play running back."

Factor No. 2 is the depth chart.

"I'm not afraid of competition, but I'd rather go against one or two than five or six. Alabama has (at running back) Corey Grant, Dee Hart and (Demetrius) Goode. Plus, Eddie Lacy and Trent Richardson are back.

"Auburn only has two (Onterio McCalebb and Mike Dyer) at running back, plus (commitment) Tre Mason and a walk-on. I know for a fact competing there would be easier."

Fucking liar knew who we were signing when he committed.

[GH2001]

The below quotes prove NOTHING:

Q: Did Alabama or Auburn offer you or anyone close to you money to choose their school?
A: Heck no. I wish they would have, but they didn't.  Moron.

Q: How about cars?
A: No. You can put this in the newspaper. If I had a car, I would be driving it. I want a car so bad, but because all of this that is going on now I can't even get a car because it's just going to make it worse.  Who's telling you that you can't have a car?  Why?

Q: Did Darren Woodruff offer you or Peaches Winston money for you to go to Alabama?
A: No. Darren was willing to take me to Auburn when I asked him to take me. But I didn't go. I went to Alabama instead that weekend.

Just because Brent didn't directly recieve money or a car doesnt mean that someone else didn't. Isn't this what they were trying to say about Cam/Cecil/Rogers? Hypocritical assholes.

[Townhallsavoy]

The below quotes prove NOTHING:

Q: Did Alabama or Auburn offer you or anyone close to you money to choose their school?
A: Heck no. I wish they would have, but they didn't.  Moron.

Q: How about cars?
A: No. You can put this in the newspaper. If I had a car, I would be driving it. I want a car so bad, but because all of this that is going on now I can't even get a car because it's just going to make it worse.  Who's telling you that you can't have a car?  Why?

Q: Did Darren Woodruff offer you or Peaches Winston money for you to go to Alabama?
A: No. Darren was willing to take me to Auburn when I asked him to take me. But I didn't go. I went to Alabama instead that weekend.

Just because Brent didn't directly recieve money or a car doesnt mean that someone else didn't. Isn't this what they were trying to say about Cam/Cecil/Rogers? Hypocritical assholes.

I'm starting to wonder if this is the point of it all.  Perhaps JLee is writing a book on stuff like this. 

Chapter 1 - The bullshit of college football recruiting
Chapter 2 - Example 1 - Gadsden Rumors
Chapter 3 - Example 2 - Cam Newton Scandal
Chapter 4 - Example 3 - Brent Calloway Scandal
Chapter 5 - Conclusion: College football fans are idiots

[RWS]

Who's telling you that you can't have a car?  Why?

The point is, if he were to go out and get a Yugo tomorrow the Prowlers of the AU fanbase would raise holy hell. "SEE!!!!!!! THEY BOUGHT HIM A CAR!!!!!!!!" etc, etc. It would only cause more speculation and problems for him, no matter how legit.

[Townhallsavoy]

The point is, if he were to go out and get a Yugo tomorrow the Prowlers of the AU fanbase would raise holy hell. "SEE!!!!!!! THEY BOUGHT HIM A CAR!!!!!!!!" etc, etc. It would only cause more speculation and problems for him, no matter how legit.

So? 

Last I checked, message boards are already roasting him.  So he can't have a car because of message board fodder?  That doesn't connect.

[RWS]

So? 

Last I checked, message boards are already roasting him.  So he can't have a car because of message board fodder?  That doesn't connect.

Well, look at all of the shit that has been initiated because of a moderator of a message board/internet site, an Auburn grad, and an Auburn fan. Also part of the problem is fans on both sides are losing sight of where the message boards end and real life begins.

[Townhallsavoy]

Well, look at all of the shit that has been initiated because of a moderator of a message board/internet site, an Auburn grad, and an Auburn fan.

And again, so what?

If someone came out and said, "Brent Calloway's parents were given a house by Bama boosters," should his family go homeless for a while? 

You know, just so the message boards and editorials don't go crazy.

[RWS]

And again, so what?

If someone came out and said, "Brent Calloway's parents were given a house by Bama boosters," should his family go homeless for a while? 

You know, just so the message boards and editorials don't go crazy.

It's easy to say "So what?" until it's your name out there in the media being thrown around.

[Townhallsavoy]

It's easy to say "So what?" until it's your name out there in the media being thrown around.

Subjective.

Why can't Brent Calloway have a car?  He says he "CAN'T."  Not "I don't want one."  He wants one.  He's said so.

He's also implying he can have one once all of the media hullabaloo ends. 

If Peaches has the ability to buy him a car, then it's absolutely no problem to get him a car.  Message board fodder matters not.  It doesn't matter at all. 

Peaches buys it?  Peaches has a job?  Peaches uses his own money?  Then what's the big deal? 

Did Dre K have to give up his vehicle when the Charger rumors surfaced?  Did Jerrell Harris have to forget about using a computer while in college after he got busted with a laptop from creepy white rich dude #1?  Did Dareus stop going to all parties after he was busted at the agent party in Florida? 

As long as the car is purchased by BC or Peaches or even Woodruff since everyone is so adament about him not being a booster, then it's no problem.

[Token]

Can anyone tell me what purpose it serves for an inch worm to hang from a tree on it's tiny silk line?  I know what spiders do with their silk.  I just don't understand why this inch worm is suspended in air under this oak tree.  Is it trying to commit suicide?  Is it the same excitement as a human doing a bungee jump? 

What does it mean?

[War Eagle!!!]

Well, look at all of the shit that has been initiated because of a moderator of a message board/internet site, an Auburn grad, and an Auburn fan. Also part of the problem is fans on both sides are losing sight of where the message boards end and real life begins.

Boo fucking hoo.

It doesn't matter. I'll be damn if I could afford a car, went out and got a car, and then worried about how folks perceived me if I got a car.

The fact is: He can't have a car because he can't afford one. And if he DOES get a car, then someone else paid for it...

[Townhallsavoy]

Can anyone tell me what purpose it serves for an inch worm to hang from a tree on it's tiny silk line?  I know what spiders do with their silk.  I just don't understand why this inch worm is suspended in air under this oak tree.  Is it trying to commit suicide?  Is it the same excitement as a human doing a bungee jump? 

What does it mean?

To be honest, JLee's produced nothing of substance.  The only truly dirty laundry being aired is confusing statements from BC's camp.  Definitely seems like suicide to me.