| | AUBURN, Ala. -- Billy Porter had been looking forward to
Senior Night all season. That was when he was going to get all
dressed up, head to Auburn and watch the final home game of his
son's short but remarkable Tiger career.
Barring a major 11th-hour change, Chris Porter won't be suiting
up for the Tigers' game Wednesday night against No. 12
LSU. Porter has been indefinitely suspended after admitting he took
$2,500 from a sports agent. He will be honored on the court where
Auburn (No. 12 ESPN/USA Today, No. 19 AP) has gone 30-0 in his two seasons.
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“ |
If (Chris) had called me and said he needed money for
himself, I would have helped him. If he called and asked me for
money for his mother, I wouldn't have helped. ” |
|
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— Billy
Porter |
"I was shocked and I was disappointed," Billy Porter, who
lives in Clio, Ala., said. "If it had been any other time, I probably
would have jumped up and started raising holy hell. I got to
thinking Chris is 21 years old. If he's going to ever be a man or
intend to be a man, now is the time for him to start."
Chris Porter, a preseason All-America selection, apparently
needed the money to prevent his mother from being evicted from her
rural south Alabama home. Billy and Emily Porter divorced several
years ago.
Emily Porter of Abbeville has declined comment.
The infraction was reportedly uncovered in a league-wide
investigation by the SEC, The Birmingham News said Tuesday. The
News said the SEC informed Auburn of the infraction last Friday and
that it was still looking at other league schools as part of a
crackdown on sports agents.
Billy Porter spent Sunday afternoon with his son after learning
of the situation. He said Chris did not tell him who gave him
money. He said if Chris needed money, the player could have called
any number of relatives.
"If he had called me and said he needed money for himself, I
would have helped him," Porter said. "If he called and asked me
for money for his mother, I wouldn't have helped."
Auburn officials are working with SEC commissioner Roy Kramer to
complete the investigation and present a report to the NCAA as soon
as possible.
Auburn will likely ask the NCAA for a quick reinstatement, which
coach Cliff Ellis said was unlikely to happen before Wednesday
night's game against LSU (No. 16 ESPN/USA Today, No. 12 AP). Auburn needs to beat LSU to move
into a tie with the Tigers for the SEC West lead.
Ellis said Porter will still be honored.
"I'm angry because he was so close to making it, but he was
still so far away," said Billy Porter, who still plans to attend.
"I've been telling my wife all season long about Senior Night, how
big Senior Night was going to be. I was going to wear a pair of
nice dress pants, a white shirt and an orange and blue tie."
Porter's uncle and high school coach, Moses Knight, said he
learned of the player's suspension as he sat down to watch Auburn
play Florida Sunday.
"He's a good kid, a real good kid," Knight said. "It's very
disappointing, but when you are young, you are easily influenced.
This doesn't change my opinion about him." | |
ALSO SEE
 South: Fretting without Porter
Porter could be in violation of Alabama law
Porter admits taking money, ruled ineligible by Auburn
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