Father of Sam Shields calls Nevin Shapiro’s allegations ’a bunch of crap’

MIAMI — Former University of Miami cornerback Sam Shields isn’t talking. But his dad is plenty mad. And so are other parents.

Samuel Shields called the allegations by convicted felon Nevin Shapiro "a bunch of crap" on Friday when reached by The Miami Herald, and criticized the university for not doing more to prevent Shapiro from infiltrating the Hurricanes program.

Shapiro alleged that he gave Shields’ son, Sam, now with the Green Bay Packers, a 42-inch Toshiba flat-screen TV, drinks and VIP access in nightclubs, as well as food, drinks and entertainment at Shapiro’s $6 million Miami Beach mansion.

"It’s definitely bad for the school, and I know for the administration it should be even worse," Samuel Shields said.

"He was a booster for, what, 10 years? The administration should have known a whole bunch of stuff, compliance should have known a whole bunch of stuff. If Sam sneezed over there they’d throw him out. They threw him under the bus so many times."

On Thursday, Shields was briefly in the locker room and addressed the allegations to reporters.

"They contacted me," Shields said of Yahoo! [YHOO] Sports. "But I just told them that I didn’t want to get into that right now. I’m just focusing on the Packers right now."

His dad said he doubted his son took the TV.

"I doubt a 42-inch TV was in his dorm room," he said.

Of Shapiro, Samuel Shields said, "That little guy needs to be where he’s at. And I hope he doesn’t run into any Miami fans in the penitentiary. He needs to be isolated."

As for Sam, his father said he didn’t have time for such nonsense. "He’s working on another Super Bowl," he said.

Former UM running back Graig Cooper, now with the Philadelphia Eagles, was alleged by Shapiro to have lodged on his $1.6 million yacht for four days in January of 2007 — the same time Cooper arrived in Miami from Milford (N.Y.) Prep.

Shapiro also said he provided food, drinks and entertainment for Cooper at Lucky Strike Lanes during the same month, and transportation in Shapiro’s car.

"If you come in town, enroll in school, meet some friends and they say, ’Let’s go hang out at the bowling alley,’ nine out of 10 times you’re going to hang out with them," said Cooper’s father, Tino Thomas. "How did he know my son? He didn’t because he had just arrived. Somebody had to bring Graig to him.

"The real question is, why isn’t anybody asking something about the president at the University of Miami? They have a picture of her taking money from him. I know it’s a donation, but she’s getting money in that same bowling alley.

"Everybody is caught up with the players and this and that. But the president was at that same bowling alley where a lot of stuff was going on. She should have known.

"These kids are 18 and 19 years old, but the one they needed to get off the field was (Nevin Shapiro). He looked like a 35-year-old kid. I tell everybody, if somebody tries to do something for you, there’s always a price to pay, because in the long run they think you owe them."

Former UM great Alonzo Highsmith, the father of safety A.J. Highsmith (who is not implicated), told The Miami Herald on Friday that he was considering suing the NCAA on behalf of parents.

"Here’s the issue I have with this whole thing," Highsmith said. "In NCAA football, why do we punish so many people for the actions of a few? These athletic programs and football programs are people’s livelihoods. Kids commit to these colleges so they can get an education, win national championships and play in bowl games. And you’re going to take all of that away from them because of the actions of a few people?

"I question a lot of things in this Yahoo! [YHOO] investigation. My thing is, don’t show me pictures you took with kids. Don’t show me a receipt. Show me evidence. . . . You took some pictures with former players. So what?

"You know how many times these kids pose for pictures with random people on the street? You’re going to convict 80 other kids because of what happened five, six, seven years ago?

"They were in junior high when this was going on. Now they pay a price while everyone lives a good life?"



(bostonherald.com)