Allegation No. 8 pertains to Ray Keller making four $100 cash payments to then student-athlete Travis Carroll. The issue before the Committee in No. 8 is, did Keller provide the money to Carroll, as alleged?

OK Johan interviewed Carroll and he basically stated that:

1) Carroll told Johan he was introduced to Keller by Fernando Bryant.

2) Fernando Bryant was a teammate of his and was driving a BMW, which cost about $70,000.

3) Carroll says that he learned from Chris Samuels the rumor was that Keller had helped Bryant get the BMW.

4) Carroll says on 4 occasions he was in an apartment with Keller.

5) Carroll says he was in Keller's hotel room before a game.

6) Carroll says that Keller gave him the 3 $100 payments in the apartment bedroom and a $100 payment in the hotel prior to Alabama home games.

7) Carroll says Keller told him that Young was interested in meeting him and that he could introduce Carroll to Young.

Johan states that “Regarding Carroll's credibility, we feel that Carroll has provided information regarding Keller and Young, which the staff believes has been corroborated by their involvement in violations in Allegations No. 1, 2, and 9, and Allegation No. 3, as it pertains to Young.”

Which if you have read them I think even I was able to make Swiss cheese out of.

OK Ray Keller was interviewed by Johan and he said:

1) Keller acknowledges that he’s Known Fernando Bryant a long time.

2) Keller acknowledges that he knew Carroll and that there were several occasions when he was with Carroll in either his son's or daughter's apartment in the Tuscaloosa area.

3) Keller acknowledges to us that there were occasions when student-athletes were in his hotel room.

4) Keller denies he has ever given any student-athlete money,

5) Keller does acknowledge that he and Young are best friends.

Now Johan goes on to say that Keller told the source (Culpepper) that he disagrees with NCAA legislation that prohibits boosters from giving payments to student-athletes. Keller also told the source that is was his Christian duty to assist the economically disadvantaged student-athletes, with cash payments, and he came right out and he acknowledged to the source that he had made payments to student-athletes.

Keller told Earl and Virginia Johnson that he would rather assist the poor student-athletes than give money to the University's Tide Pride fundraising program.

Johan states that “All the other interviews we had done we heard the stories from confidential sources but This is the young man who actually links Young and Keller together. This was the first guy that did that.” In fact, Gene Marsh reported that a confidential source told Marsh that Keller said that he would continue to make payments, in spite of the NCAA's investigation.

Alabama agrees with Johan’s assessment of the comments attributed to Keller. That was their motivation to disassociate Keller for a period of seven years. But Hillard states “what you have in Allegation No. 8 Keller saying one thing, "I've never given money to any student-athletes," and Carroll saying that he received $400 on four occasions.

YEAGER says “Excuse me. You said Keller has said, "I've never given money to student-athletes"?” HILLARD says he says he don’t like the NCAA rules, as Johan quoted the source as saying and to the Johnson’s and other people who reported information about Keller's comments publicly that we find unacceptable. HILLIARD goes ahead and pushes Keller in front of the train now stating, “He is an individual capable of the act described in No. 8.”

DEE asked “Just out of curiosity what was his relationship that made him a rep?

Marie stated He was a Tide Pride donor member since its inception.

OK wait just a damn minute. I thought Keller told Earl and Virginia Johnson that he’d rather assist the poor athlete than give money to the University's Tide Pride fundraising program.

Anyway Marie goes on to say “We were at the Arkansas game in the fall of 2000. Having been instructed by Mal I took the opportunity to talk with him. He was going on with this rampage about You know, "I feel for the poor person, the poor athlete."

NOW HILLIARD states there is insufficient evidence that it's a one-on-one. You have Travis Carroll saying it and Keller denying it. Is he capable of it? We believe he is, but is there sufficient evidence to draw the conclusion based on one-on-one? No.

MS. POTUTO has to add “I can't resist. Every automobile ticket I've ever gotten was one-on-one and it would have been proved beyond a reasonable doubt if I had contested it in court.” HILLIARD responds I wish we had a radar gun to support it. Unbelievable.

MR. DEE adds “Again, let me just in a closing thought here, where was Carroll? Was this part of the automobile interview that spilled over? Was this a separate incident we found out about? What was his state of mind? Was he trying to please you by telling you things about people? I don't know. Usually it's the kid who is denying he ever got anything. Here we have the kid saying, "I got the money." It's sort a backwards on this. I'm just wondering what the circumstances were.

MR. DEE: Was this sort of, Is there anything else you want to tell me about kind of questions about how it came up or did you have some knowledge that this might have occurred?

JOHAN states We had indications as far as the vehicle. We were suspicious about the vehicle. I don't think we had any understanding of the cash payments.

This one is so weird that even COI member Mr. Dee doesn’t seem to understand why Alabama is letting it in. I do not even think Marie totally agreed in going this route in #8. She states at the end “For the record I just would like to add some of the dynamics regarding Travis Carroll's transfer.

1) Travis Carroll spent two years at our institution.

2) The second year was primarily occupied by his shoulder injury.

3) When he decided he was going to transfer from Alabama to Florida, we did not provide a release under the permission speed file for the University of Florida.

4) I will tell you that Travis had considerable differences related to his shoulder injury & the diagnosis of that injury.

5) In fact he had filed a medical malpractice suit with the University regarding the shoulder injury.

Even Johan contradicts himself at the end. He 1^st says that Keller told the source (Culpepper) that he had made payments to student-athletes. Then at the end he says when they interviewed Carroll about the SUV JOHAN “states We had indications as far as the vehicle. We were suspicious about the vehicle. I don't think we had any understanding of the cash payments.”

Dee even brought up the point that Keller told Earl and Virginia Johnson that he’d rather assist the poor athlete than give money to the University's Tide Pride fundraising program. But Marie states that Keller has He was a Tide Pride donor member since its inception.

Look there is no proof here. Just like all the other Major Allegations this one is built out of a “Deck of Cards,” this thing is so weak it makes me want to Puke.