Sunday, April 5, 2009

Black News: NCAA Steals Player’s Eligibility with Little-Known Regulation

After Preston Parker's midnight ride cost him a roster spot in February, I reviewed Florida State's relative lack of returning playmakers, and Corey Surrency played a prominent role in the analysis. Surrency was only an occasional player in FSU's offense in his first year out of El Camino (Calif.) Community College, but he did average almost 20 yards with four touchdowns on just 12 catches, flashing some of the talent that made him one of the most sought-after JUCO transfers in the country. His size, speed and hype make him an obvious candidate for a senior breakout this fall.

Talent notwithstanding, that fate hasn't always been a foregone conclusion: Surrency, 24, grew up in rough part of Miami, dropped out of school in ninth grade and later spent 90 days in jail for what the Orlando Sentinel describes as "various crimes," including felonies. After prison, Surrency earned his diploma, played a season with a "minor league" team, Tampa's Florida Kings of the Southeast Football League, and eventually headed cross-country to El Camino, where he caught on and earned scholarship offers from all over the country.

Click to read.

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