The Commercial Appeal

NCAA talks to Robinson ex-coach

He says the questions were broad in nature

- By Kyle Veazey

commitment; always a threat to take it to the house); LB Adam Collins (with much of the defense made up of new starters, 205-pounder will be counted on very heavily; ran back fumble for touchdown in state championsh­ip game); OL Vincent Hunter (315-pounder is unit’s only returning starter)

The summer football coach of former Wooddale High and current Auburn University running back Jovon Robinson said he was interviewe­d by the NCAA this month.

Byron De’Vinner of Nashville told The Commercial Appeal Wednesday that the NCAA representa­tive’s questions were broad in nature and weren’t specific to the team he coached.

“It wasn’t about Jovon Robinson in particular,” De’Vinner said. “It was basically just asking questions about how are 7-on-7s run, things in those nature.”

Seven-onseven football is played in the spring and summer and is a tackle-free version of the game for skill players. Robinson wasn’t the only major college signee to play on De’Vinner’s team last year. Brian Kimbrow, who signed with Vanderbilt, Will Redmond (Mississipp­i State), and Nathan Cole (Cincinnati) were among those on the De’Vinner-coached West Tennessee Xpress, he said.

Robinson is being held out of practice at Auburn after Memphis City Schools said on Friday that a guidance counselor had falsified his transcript. MCS said it was made aware of the issue by the NCAA. Central High coach Lynord Crutchfiel­d said Monday that he had recently spoken with an NCAA representa­tive about various players and coaches in the Memphis area.

De’Vinner said his conversati­on was similar.

“They were asking about different players, coaches and different practices, because I’ve been around the recruiting process a while and what not,” De’Vinner said. “And the 7-on-7, that was something they discussed.”

An MCS spokesman said Wednesday she believes the district’s investigat­ion into the transcript continues. Tina Wordlow, Robinson’s mother, said Wednesday she hadn’t received explanatio­n from MCS about the transcript and has not been interviewe­d by the NCAA.

 ?? ALAN POIZNER/THE TENNESSEAN ?? Whitehaven’s Mark Dodson (7), who has committed to Ole Miss, is one of the top running backs in the Shelby-Metro area.
ALAN POIZNER/THE TENNESSEAN Whitehaven’s Mark Dodson (7), who has committed to Ole Miss, is one of the top running backs in the Shelby-Metro area.
 ??  ?? Jovon Robinson
Jovon Robinson

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