LOS ANGELES -- The NCAA reinstated Dwayne Jarrett's
eligibility on Wednesday, so the USC All-American wide receiver
will not miss any games for the Trojans.
Jarrett, a junior, was declared ineligible earlier this summer
because he did not pay full rent on an off-campus apartment he had
shared with teammate Matt Leinart. Leinart's father paid the
balance of the rent.
Leinart, the 2004 Heisman Trophy winner, completed his
eligibility at the school last season and was taken 10th by the
Arizona Cardinals in this year's NFL draft.
The NCAA ruled that Jarrett must pay $5,352 to a charity of his
choice for extra benefits that included discounted rent on the
apartment.
"Mr. Jarrett made a mistake, and we believe that had he known
he was required to pay his full share of the rent for the
apartment, he would not have chosen to live there," Jennifer
Strawley, NCAA director of membership services and student-athlete
reinstatement, said in a statement.
"Reinstatement is a delicate balance of addressing the benefit
or competitive advantage gained with student-athlete well being. In
this instance, requiring some level of repayment was a fair and
reasonable outcome given the specific facts."
Jarrett lived with Leinart for 13 months in an apartment that
cost $3,866 a month. Jarrett paid $650 a month toward the rent and
did not pay any utilities.
The NCAA is requiring him to give to charity the full value of
his $960 monthly housing stipend, minus what he already paid in
rent, plus half the cost of utilities for the time he lived in the
apartment.
His total benefit while he lived in the apartment was calculated
to be $18,001.
"I'm glad this is finally behind me," Jarrett said. "I felt
all along that this would be resolved as it has been. I believe the
conditions of the reinstatement imposed by the NCAA are fair.
"I'm now looking forward to continuing our preparations for the
2006 season and our opener at Arkansas."
Jarrett earlier said that, because he was paying part of the
rent, he did not realize he was violating NCAA rules.
USC coach Pete Carroll had anticipated the NCAA's decision to
reinstate Jarrett.
"We've felt comfortable throughout this process that the
outcome would be like this," Carroll said. "I'm happy that the
NCAA recognized the uniqueness of this situation.
"I know that Dwayne is relieved. We'll take this news in stride
now and continue on with our business."
Strawley said: "Requiring him to pay the full value of his
housing stipend and his share of the utility costs not only
considers all the facts in the case but also provides a
student-friendly decision that allows him to compete without
missing any games."