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More Pay-For-Play? Trainer Allegedly Wanted Over $80,000 From Texas A&M For Patrick Peterson (UPDATE)

UPDATE: Patrick Peterson released a statement on the story (h/t SPORTSbyBROOKS). It reads:

“I have never had any type of relationship with Willie Lyles and he had no influence on my decision to attend LSU, or any other school for that matter. He had no involvement with my recruiting process and I resent the fact that my name has come up in these allegations. I never received nor was I offered anything to go to LSU and anyone saying otherwise is being dishonest.”

If that’s all true, Lyles would come off looking like little more than a bunch of big talk and bluster. This would surprise…no one, probably.

The original post is below.

At a time when the debate over what to do about corruption in college athletics is reaching a fever pitch, another high-profile story of potential recruiting impropriety emerges – this one involving two names you’ve probably heard before.

Well, the first, you’ve almost certainly heard of – cornerback Patrick Peterson, who’ll soon become a top NFL draft pick. And if you’re a close follower of college football, odds are you’ve heard the other name as well – Will Lyles. Lyles was in the news a while back for payments he received from Oregon for a recruiting service (all while maintaining a close relationship with 2010 Oregon signee Lache Seastrunk).

And Lyles, it appears, gets around – enough so that in 2007, he was close with Peterson…and, according to former Texas A&M assistant Van Malone, said that if the Aggies wanted to secure Peterson’s services, they needed to cough up $80,000.

“A few days after the kid’s visit, Will calls and says, ‘If you want this kid, there are other schools that want this kid as well. They’re willing to pay a certain amount of money, around the $80,000 mark. He said that was something we were going to have to beat as a university to be able to obtain the services of this kid.”

Malone (now at Tulsa) said he told Lyles Texas A&M doesn’t do that sort of thing. Of course, Peterson wound up at LSU and had himself a superb college career. Peterson’s father, Patrick Peterson Sr., said he wasn’t surprised his son chose an SEC school, but Malone’s accusation was news to him. Then, showing the high regard in which the likes of Lyles are held, the elder Peterson said:

“It could have happened. It could have come out of [Lyles'] mouth, that’s what happens. These guys try to make money on their own, they are kind of like escort services. That’s what I call them, escort services.”

In any case, if Lyles did what Malone accused him of doing (though unsuccessfully, in that case), it’s another notch in the belt of those like Jason Whitlock who think the college athletics system is broken beyond repair. Because let’s face it – there are plenty of people like Lyles out there.

Peterson Sr. said “these guys” – plural. He knows they’re all over the place, hangers-on trying to benefit themselves off the backs of players (sometimes, they’re even related to the players in question). And there’s not much anyone can do about it as long as the labor remains unpaid, because people will always try and find a way around it.

As more stories like the alleged Peterson/Lyles/A&M affair keep popping up, though, it’ll get harder and harder for the NCAA to say drastic change of some kind isn’t necessary. Video of Malone giving his side of the story below.

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