For those of you who haven’t been following the Melvin Alaeze circus that made its way through College Park this summer, you missed a lot.
Alaeze, considered by many to be coach Ralph Friedgen’s top recruit in his six-year tenure, was released from his scholarship June 21. It marked the end of a long, tedious process involving Alaeze.
Administration said the 6-foot-3-, 280-pound defensive end was officially released because he violated the terms of his financial aid agreement. The Athletics Department sent out a press release saying Alaeze failed to sign a financial aid agreement when signing his letter of intent in February.
At least, that was the official reason.
Alaeze was charged in February with marijuana possession with intent to distribute, two counts of marijuana possession and two counts of possession of drug paraphernalia. The charges were eventually dropped, but the arrest may still have been the unofficial reason for the release.
Either way, props to Friedgen for releasing Alaeze from his scholarship. In the time Alaeze has been associated with the Terps, he’s been nothing but trouble to Friedgen and the team.
“When [Friedgen] wants to put his foot down, he’s going to put his foot down,” junior running back Lance Ball said. “He really doesn’t like anybody with extra baggage, especially causing problems. That messes up the team, the team’s image. Friedgen put his foot down and said he’s not going to take any junk, any mess this year.”
The Terps originally recruited Alaeze in 2005, but he didn’t meet NCAA eligibility standards. Sure, Alaeze made a commitment to the Terps, even after a couple sub-par years for the team. But the Terps also stuck with Alaeze, despite the eligibility problems.
The Diamondback contacted Alaeze and his family on numerous occasions, but they have been unwilling to discuss the situation, despite ripping Friedgen to other media outlets.
Friedgen stayed mum throughout the whole ordeal. He’s making a statement to his team early. It’s the right direction for a squad that was surrounded by off the field controversy last season.
By stripping Alaeze – the No. 2 prep school prospect in the nation – of his scholarship, Friedgen made it known he is not putting up with the off-field antics.
“Ralph’s gonna be Ralph,” said junior safety Christian Varner, who played alongside Alaeze in high school and said the two are still close friends. “He’s tough, and he’s not going to take the bullshit. He’s tired of 5-6 seasons, and so are we. We’re tired of the bullshit.
“So the guys that are having all these problems and being a cancer to the team, they’re gonna be dealt with. That’s the benefit of having guys that have been here, gone through growing pains. Growing pains are over, it’s time to step up now.”
Sounds like Friedgen’s gotten his point across.
And I know I wasn’t the only one who did a double take upon hearing that Alaeze signed to play at the University of Illinois. This is football, not basketball, and the Illini haven’t had a winning season since making the Sugar Bowl during the 2001 season. It certainly says something that Alaeze ended up in Champaigne, Ill., and not Penn State, Virginia Tech or a different high-profile school.
Props to Friedgen for informally letting his athletes know they might not be as big a deal as they think they are.
Even if he had to use a five-star recruit as an example.
Contact sports editor Andrew Zuckerman at sports@dbk.umd.edu.
