NCAA Suspends Eight Miami Football Players

By - Kris Fletcher

The NCAA announced yesterday that twelve current players for the Miami Hurricanes accepted extra benefits from former booster Nevin Shapiro.

Eight of those athletes, including starting quarterback Jacory Harris, have been suspended for one to six games. The other four must repay the amount of the benefits they received, but will not have to miss any playing time.

Photo by: Joel Auerbach

Defensive lineman Olivier Vernon will miss six games and have to repay more than $1,200. Safety Ray-Ray Armstrong and tight end Dyron Dye will sit out four games. Armstrong must repay $788, Dye $738. Defensive lineman Marcus Forston, linebacker Sean Spence, defensive lineman Adewale Ojomo, wide receiver Travis Benjamin and quarterback Jacory Harris will miss one game each. Forston must repay around $400, Spence about $275, Ojomo $240, Benjamin roughly $150 and Harris $140.

Cornerback Brandon McGee, safety JoJo Nicolas, defensive tackle Micanor Regis and safety Vaughn Telemaque were all found to have accepted less than $100 in benefits. They were not suspended, but must pay back what they were given.

"The student-athletes involved have acknowledged receiving improper benefits and will now be responsible for restitution and, in some cases, the student-athletes will also serve game suspensions," Miami director of athletics Shawn Eichorst said in a statement. "They understand that their actions demand consequences."

The joint NCAA / Miami investigation into Shapiro's actions as a booster from 2002 until 2010 remains ongoing. Yesterday's ruling concerned the eligibility of only current players and not the culpability, if any, of the university, former administrators or former players.