UC FOOTBALL
NCAA denies Mauk's appeal
But the former Bearcats QB isn't giving up on being granted a sixth year of eligibility.
Thursday, May 01, 2008
CINCINNATI — Ben Mauk isn't ready to give up quite yet. Even though the NCAA on Wednesday, April 30, denied his request for reconsideration on his original waiver for a sixth year of eligibility, the former University of Cincinnati quarterback will file one last appeal.
He hopes this time — although he's 0-for-2 so far — the NCAA will grant him that additional season.
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Get latest headlines via RSS feeds"I thought we had a shot," Mauk said. "We thought we gave them enough documentation and information that they would grant us a sixth year. We're disappointed in the decision, but at the same time, I'm excited because we get to start a new process where I get to actually to talk to the NCAA."
He'll do that when he presents his appeal by telephone to the Student-Athlete Reinstatement Committee, probably within a month. He'll also have explaining to do.
Mauk's original waiver for the sixth year of eligibility was denied in February, but he added to his appeal in March, saying he had sustained a bad foot injury in high school that kept him from playing his freshman year at Wake Forest. He then suffered a devastating shoulder injury as a junior, keeping him out of all games but one, before transferring to UC and leading the Bearcats to a 10-win season.
Although he has records from his physician, saying he couldn't have played as a freshman because of the high school injury, Wake Forest doesn't have the documentation to back up that claim.
"Wake Forest didn't have the contemporaneous medical documentation when Ben was there," said Maggie McKinley, UC's compliance director. "We had all the documentation from his treating physician when the injury occurred and the follow-up surgeries. He got to Wake Forest, and the paper trail ended. That's the problem. Follow-up visits, things like that. There's nothing.
"The NCAA isn't disputing that there was an injury. What they're saying is that there's nothing to support that it kept him out of playing."
Mauk, however, said he isn't upset with Wake Forest.
"I don't blame Wake Forest at all," he said. "It's one of the things that puts you between a rock and a hard place. I'm not somebody who complains at all; I always try to bounce back as fast as I can. Looking back, if I would have complained and been a crybaby, this wouldn't have been such a problem. But I tried to push through the injury and overcome it, and I almost feel like I'm being penalized for it."
