5 Zookies to miss Spring ball

CHAMPAIGN – Illinois football coach Ron Zook said today that five players will miss spring practice to concentrate on academics.

Defensive end Jerry Brown, receiver Brian Gamble, cornerback Marcus Thomas and offensive linemen Mark Jackson and Brandon Jordan will not participate in drills that start Wednesday.
"This isn't about eligibility, but we need to make sure our players understand the priorities of this program," Zook said. "Our student-athletes are here to get an education first and that will be our emphasis for these five young men over the next four weeks."

Translation: We didn't do our job, making sure these kids were doing what they were supposed to be doing and now they are in danger of flunking out so we're going to hire tutors for them and make them study so they can scrape some sort of a GPA together so they can play in the fall.

Typical.