Ole Miss DT Powe finally cleared to play
OXFORD, Miss. (AP) – The Southeastern Conference has cleared long-suffering Mississippi recruit Jerrell Powe to play this season, three years after he signed with the Rebels.
Powe will be a 21-year-old freshman when practice begins this weekend after meeting Ole Miss academic requirements and the NCAA’s continuing eligibility standards.
“We are pleased that Jerrell will now become a student athlete,” Ole Miss athletic director Pete Boone said. “It has been a long process and it is now time to move forward.”
The NCAA twice denied the Waynesboro, Miss., native’s eligibility before declaring him a partial qualifier last August with the stipulation that he must complete a year of college before joining the team. Powe suffers from the learning disabilities dyslexia and attention deficit disorder, which have hampered his ability to meet eligibility requirements.
He passed 24 credit hours during the last academic year and has been cleared by SEC commissioner Mike Slive to join the team immediately.
foxsports.com
7/29/08