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Marcell Dareus 'Paid Athletes' Pay For Play

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PAY FOR PLAY The issue of pay for play has gone back for decades not just on the collegiate level but on the professional level. Athletes, over the years, have verbally attacked the unfairness of the NCAA or professional owners unfairly profiting of the sweat of the athletes backs. I believe paying athletes a modest amount would lessen the temptation to break NCAA rules by taking cash from boosters, agents and anyone else willing to give it. For example, is the case of Cam Newton’s, former Auburn quarterback. Reports were released stating that former Mississippi State assistants and a booster had contacted Newton’s father, Cecil Newton, about payments for his signature with the Bulldogs. In another SEC scandal, Marcell Dareus was ruled ineligible …show more content…

He played basketball for the UCLA Bruins from 1991-1995. As a freshman with the Bruins, O’Bannon never started but came off the beach for 23 games. He averaged four points a game. The reason for him not starting may be due to him tearing his anterior cruciate ligament during a pickup game six days prior to the start of basketball practice. In his sophomore year, he was named to the All-PAC 10 Conference team. In his junior year, he was named to the All-PAC 10 Conference team again as well as MVP for the team. In his senior year, he led the Bruins to the 1995 NCAA basketball championship with an 89-78 victory over the Arkansas Razorbacks. O’Bannon was the tournament’s MVP with a game high 30 points and 17 rebounds in the championship …show more content…

Wooden Award, the Oscar Robertson trophy, Consensus First Team All-American, PAC-10 co-Player of the Year w/Damon Stoudamire, first team All-American for the 3rd consecutive year, UCLA’s co-MVP w/Tyus Edney, the retirement of his jersey number 31 and induction into the UCLA Athletes Hall of Fame in 2005, and the PAC-12 Basketball Hall of Honor in 2012 (WebCite, 2011). In 1995, he was drafted by the New Jersey Nets. Unfortunately, he only stayed in the league for two years. He was later traded to the Dallas Mavericks and ultimately to the Orlando Magic where he was eventually released. He played professional basketball overseas for seven years in countries including Argentina, Greece, Poland and Spain. He decided to retire at age 32 because of ongoing problems with his knees. He later went back to UCLA in 2011 to complete his education by getting his bachelor’s degree in History. He is currently a marketing director for a car dealership in Las Vegas NV (Websit,

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