Published Tuesday April 28, 2009NU Football: Glenn's suspension not related to an NCAA infraction
BY JON NYATAWA
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER
Nebraska officials still are not saying why linebacker Cody Glenn was suspended from the Husker football team in November. They are saying that Glenn's infraction within the football program did not constitute an NCAA violation.
Glenn, who was drafted in the fifth round on Sunday by the Washington Redskins, told the Washington Post that he was suspended for selling tickets, typically considered against NCAA rules.
"I got caught up selling some tickets that I wasn't supposed to be doing," Glenn told the Washington Post. "Coach (Bo) Pelini did what he had to do."
But two members of the Nebraska athletic department's compliance office said Glenn was not suspended for anything that would be considered a violation of NCAA rules.
Gary Bargen, Nebraska assistant athletic director for compliance, said he spoke with Glenn Monday and concluded that no violation occurred.
"I don't know all the particulars of the suspension, but I am aware that it doesn't involve any NCAA violation," Bargen said.
Josh White, NU assistant athletic director for compliance and planning, was also unaware of any NCAA violation involving Glenn.
"From what our office knows Cody was suspended for violating team rules and not NCAA rules," White said in a text message.
According to NCAA bylaws, athletes are not allowed to receive money for the four complimentary tickets provided to them by the athletic department. And those tickets are not to be distributed in a hard copy format. Instead, schools are to issue admittance through a pass list. Also, a student-athlete may not purchase tickets for an intercollegiate event and then sell them for more than their face value.
Glenn did not immediately return a phone message on Monday.
NU coach Bo Pelini said in November that Glenn was suspended for a violation of team rules and that no one would have any further comment on the situation.
When contacted about the reasons for Glenn's suspension again on Monday, a Nebraska spokesperson referred a reporter to Pelini's November statement.
In statements made to reporters in Washington on Sunday, Vinny Cerrato, Redskins executive vice president/football operations, commented on Glenn's suspension at Nebraska.
"That was for the ticket sales," he said. "You know what, our scouts do a good job with all the information we get. I talked to their people down there and we felt comfortable with everything."
Redskins coach Jim Zorn also told reporters on Sunday that Glenn's off-field issues were discussed.
"We feel like it was an unfortunate situation for him and it is interesting," Zorn said. "You see a lot of those guys that have made errors in their lives. Their reputation follows them and so we had to deal with that as well. Talk things through with coaches, with the people in that program and as we put him on our board, you know we took off a lot of guys on our board, he was one guy we didn't take off even though he had a little blemish there in his time at Nebraska."
Glenn was on hand for Nebraska's spring game April 18. He told The World-Herald Sunday that he will graduate in two weeks.
He was Nebraska's fifth-leading tackler last season, piling up 51 total stops until the suspension. He had been an I-back until midway through spring practice in 2008.