Dez Bryant Receives One-Year Suspension

The University of Texas now knows that it won't have to concern itself with trying to cover Oklahoma State All-American Dez Bryant when the third-ranked Longhorns play the 13th-ranked Cowboys on Saturday night. And unless OSU and Bryant can win over the NCAA Student-Athlete Reinstatement Committee members in an appeal neither will any of the Cowboys' remaining 2009 opponents.

In fact, Oklahoma State fans likely have seen the last of Bryant in a Cowboys uniform unless that appeal is granted allowing Bryant to play in some portion of the remaining regular season or postseason schedule.

The 6-2, 220-pound consensus All-American wide receiver was ruled ineligible by Oklahoma State based on information passed on by the NCAA Enforcement Department and the Department on Agents, Gambling, and Amateurism.

The information was based on an interview the NCAA conducted with former NFL All-Pro Deion Sanders. Sanders' interview contridicted information Bryant had given in an interview with the NCAA earlier about an alledged meeting that he had with Sanders back in the summer.

Sanders told the NCAA that he and Bryant had met at a Fieldhouse USA workout facility in Frisco, Texas, and that Bryant and his girlfriend later had dinner with Sanders and his wife at Sanders home.

Bryant, who later said he panicked when questioned by the NCAA had denied such a meeting took place. In doing so, Bryant violated NCAA Bylaw 10.1 (d), which requires that all student-athletes, coaches, and administrators tell the truth to the NCAA when being questioned about an official investigation.

Today the NCAA informed Oklahoma State of its decision as to the punishment for Bryant in this situation. The following is part of the releases sent out by Oklahoma State Athletic Media Relations.

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has informed Oklahoma State University that junior wide receiver Dez Bryant will remain suspended for one calendar year. He will be eligible to return to game action in September of 2010.

OSU is appealing the decision to the NCAA Student-Athlete Reinstatement Committee and could learn that committee’s decision as early as next week.

The release concluded by saying that Oklahoma State officials will have no further comment on the matter.

Bryant had been warned by Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy and other members of the football staff to stay away from Sanders.

He was also told by Gundy, along with members of the OSU athletic compliance office, to tell the NCAA investigators, Marcus Wilson (assistant director of Agents, Gambling, and Amateurism) and Dan Matheson (associates director of Enforecement), the truth in all questions he was asked.

Later when accompanied by local attorney Willie Baker and OSU associate athletic director for compliance Scott Williams, Dez Bryant informed NCAA officials in Indianapolis that he panicked "because I was scared and afraid that I was in some kind of trouble."