South Florida Player Speaks, Takes Coach's Side

Joel Miller, the USF walk on who coach Jim Leavitt is accused of striking, has finally given his own take on the story. He's defending Leavitt—just like his brother said he had no other choice but to do.

Miller told ESPN's Joe Schad that Leavitt has nothing to apologize for. He merely "grabbed my shoulder pads to motivate me, because he's a passionate guy." (That's for sure.) Joel says his family's side of the story is being "misrepresented," which is just baffling because they clearly got their side of the story from him and I don't see how you can misrepresent the sentence, "Leavitt, for lack of a better term, is an 'a-hole.'" Not a lot of ambiguity there.

And if this whole thing wasn't enough of a mess, Miller was not even supposed to be talking to anyone because South Florida is in the middle of their own investigation and the interview with Schad was not approved by the athletic department. Maybe Leavitt didn't do anything wrong, but when you're own father changes his story, your own brother says you're afraid to talk because "you have everything to lose," then you immediately start talking and absolve your coach of any possible wrongdoing, it doesn't exactly seem like everything is on the level. Sort of like everything else in college football.

South Florida player alleged to have been struck by coach says reports are untrue [ESPN] SPORTSbyBROOKS » Unauthorized ESPN Interview Makes Leavitt's Case [Brooks]