Stimulating. Transformative.
Why Not Just Pay The Players?

(Note: This story was written for my sports column in the Edmond Sun newspaper in 1985, long before NIL–standing for “name, image and likeness”–opened the doors to college athletes receiving compensation for their outside-the-classroom services. The graphic above, posted on March 23, 2021, is taken from a page of the African American Golfer’s Digest website.)

The Central State University football program has had its share of incoming major college transfers through the years. Many were tabbed as outstanding players coming out of high school. Poor grades or lack of steady playing time often ended their big-time college football careers.

Most of the ex-blue chippers who wind up at schools like Central State are glad to have a chance to continue playing football. No cars are asked for. And, from the looks of the parking lot west of the Broncho Fieldhouse on the CSU campus, none are received.

Eddie Goodlow seems to have found a home at Central State after transferring from Oklahoma State University. In his two years as a Broncho, Goodlow has emerged as one of the NAIA’s top ball carriers.

Goodlow’s talent is no surprise. He was a highly-recruited prepster out of Altus High School. How highly recruited? Here’s what Eddie says.

“I was heavily recruited,” Goodlow offers. “I was recruited by Bear Bryant at Alabama, Texas, Nebraska, UCLA, Washington, and of course, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State.”

Deciding to take a chance in my interview with Goodlow this week, I asked him, “Eddie, did any of those schools offer you money?”

“Alabama didn’t need to,” he said. “They had the great tradition and Coach Bryant. UCA offers academic excellence. Washington offered ‘big money.’ I can name schools that offer big money and I can name schools that offer academics.

“SMU offers big money.” Goodlow said.

“What about OU and OSU?” I asked.

“A lot of people go to OU because of academics and tradition,” Goodlow said. “But there is some money there, too. I went to OSU because they were a program on the rise.”

No money?

“No. They were a building program, as you can see now, and I wanted to be a part of that.”

Then what about the new car Goodlow famously arrived on campus with during his freshman year at Oklahoma State?

“When I signed with OSU, my dad bought me a new car. He wanted me to go to Oklahoma State, and when I committed to the Cowboys, he was very pleased. I didn’t think I was going to get a new car, but I got one anyway,” Goodlow said.

Were people suspicious?

“It started out that way,” Goodlow replied. The NCAA must have been surprised that I went to OSU and not OU or Texas. So, they investigated my situation. They went through all the bank notes and stuff and found out that my dad bought me the car, so that was the end of that.”

And soon, Goodlow’s time at Oklahoma State had come to an end, too.

“I had some academic problems there,” Goodlow said. “But, before I got into academic problems, I got into coaching problems with Coach Johnson.”

Goodlow elaborated on his rough patch with Cowboy Head Coach Jimmy Johnson.

“I really liked Coach Jones,” Goodlow explained. “When I was having my problems, Coach Jones would talk to me. I really couldn’t understand why a defensive coach would talk to me, an offensive player. But, I really appreciated it.”

Current OSU head coach Pat Jones was the Cowboy’s defensive coordinator under Johnson.

Eddie Goodlow has left controversy behind him. He sat out of football for nearly two years before joining the Central State program. Both parties have benefited from the current situation.

———

Several Southwest Conference schools recruited Goodlow out of high school, and frankly, I’m a bit puzzled by the hoopla surrounding the league’s football recruiting scandals. Why has the Southwest Conference been singled out as perpetrators of recruiting transgressions.

When the Southern Methodist’s football program was placed on yet another NCAA probation, the Mustangs decided they had had enough. Apparently, others had been blowing the whistle on SMU, so the school’s football administrators decided to cry foul, too.

Then, there was the matter of “conscience” at Texas Christian University, which led to allegations of “slush funds” at not only TCU, but also, and of all places, the University of Tulsa.

And the man supposedly responsible for initiating the payment-for-players scheme at both of those schools, former head coach F.A. Dry, was awarded a game ball by players following a Baylor win last week. Dry is currently an assistant coach for the Bears.

Maybe the Baylor players are appreciative of Dry-instigated slush fund activities in their program.

Would the Baptists stand for such a thing? Probably, just like the Methodists, Catholics, and Mormons. Would Baylor head coach Grant Teaff tolerate cheating?

His reputation would suggest not, but one never really knows.

———

The Central State University athletic parking lot bears little resemblance to that at Oklahoma, at lest as alleged in the pages of Sports Illustrated. As a result of a recent story published by the magazine, many of those “fancy” cars have disappeared from the OU campus.

At Central State, I can’t find anything the resembles a location where “jocks” park their sporty new cars. In large part, that’s because there’s much less money available or at stake at a small school like CSU.

Although Goodlow says his high school head coach at Altus, Dave Brown–currently an assistant coach at Norman High School–tried to protect him from the wayward ways of college recruiters, one gets the impression they left they mark on Goodlow.

And not in a good way.

Do all schools cheat, to some extent?

“Yes, oh yes,” Goodlow said. “It’s something that’s back in the corner. You always know it’s there.”

This–what has happened at SMU, TCU and other schools of late–is like the Watergate political scandal in some respects. Eventually, they all get busted. This probably won’t stop until they get the bulk of the villains.

Eddie Goodlow has another thought.

“Why not make it legal for players to be paid something,” Goodlow asked me as we concluded our interview. I didn’t have a good answer at the time, but I think I do now.

Why not?

 

Back to previous page