OSU Staff, Players Deny Allegations Of Bonuses For Performance

Sports Illustrated is publishing a series of reports called, "The Dirty Game," and the first installment is about cash bonuses paid to players.

As you might imagine, the accusations in the article are rocking not only Oklahoma State University, but the sports world at large.

Many OSU fans are in shock and disbelief over the Sports Illustrated report. Some former players, including one used as a source, are angry. And this only the first of several reports to come out this week.

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The SI report says eight former players told the magazine they received money and that 29 other OSU teammates did too, from 2001 to 2011.

Several of those named in the article, like running back Tatum Bell and quarterback Josh Fields, denied ever getting money.

The article says some players were given bonuses for their performance on the field, for things like tackles and sacks.

Former OSU assistant Joe Deforrest, named in the article as providing bonuses and now an assistant at West Virginia, said he never paid a player for on-field performance.

9/10/2013 Related Story: Former OSU Football Players Sound Off About SI's Article

OSU alum Robert Allen, who is also on the Cowboys broadcast team, admits his voice is orange-tinted, but said the Sports Illustrated report lacks credibility. And he said the players that SI talked to all left the program under bad circumstances and may have an axe to grind.

"Of all the other players in the program at the time, SI couldn't find a single one other than the ones dismissed from the program to come out and verify this," Allen said.

One of the players, who is a prominent source in the article, is now calling one of the co-authors a liar.

Former OSU linebacker Rodrick Johnson said on Facebook, "I was never paid or said anything negative about OSU," and that the author, "took what I said and flipped it to his own words."

Johnson said he is embarrassed and ashamed by the article.

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