Down Goes Miami, Part 8: 8 Players Suspended For One To Six Games

SHAPRIO AND TWO CANES CIRCA 2003

The NCAA (Suits in Indianapolis, Formerly Kansas) announced findings Tuesday that 12 current Miami football players accepted extra benefits from booster Nevin Shapiro and suspended eight athletes  including quarterback Jacory Harris for between one and six games.

Four other players must simply repay the amount of the benefits they received and will be eligible for the Hurricanes’ season opener Monday at Maryland.

The NCAA claimed the players “received varying levels of recruiting inducements and extra benefits from (Nevin) Shapiro and athletics personnel” including “meals, transportation, access to Shapiro’s game suite, drinks, as well as cover charges at two different nightclubs, among others.”

Here’s the scorecard:

Defensive lineman Olivier Vernon, 6 games, $1,200.

Safety Ray-Ray Armstrong, 4 games, $788

Tight end Dyron Dye, 4 games, $738.

Defensive lineman Marcus Forston, 1 game, $400.

Linebacker Sean Spence, 1 game, approx $275.

Defensive lineman Adewale Ojomo, 1 game, $240.

Receiver Travis Benjamin, 1 game, approx $150

 VERNON (Jim Rassol/Sun Sentinel)

Quarterback Jacory Harris, 1 game, approx $140.

In retrospect, new coach Al Golden is probably relieved.

The school also announced wide receiver Aldarius Johnson was suspended indefinitely by coach Al Golden for a violation of team rules.

The joint NCAA/Miami investigation into Shapiro’s actions as a booster from 2002 until 2010 remains ongoing. Tuesday’s ruling concerned the eligibility of only current student athletes and not the culpability, if any, of the university, former administrators or former players.

To read more, click here.