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Tressel denies buying machine
A rumor says the OSU coach bought exercise device for former player.
Friday, December 14, 2007
COLUMBUS — Ohio State coach Jim Tressel quashed an e-mail rumor Thursday that he purchased a $6,000 exercise machine for an injured former player.
Tyson Gentry, a walk-on receiver and punter, landed awkwardly while trying to catch a pass during a practice in spring 2006. He sustained a broken vertebra in his neck and a damaged spinal cord and has been unable to walk ever since.
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An e-mail rumor circulating this week says Tressel saw Gentry waiting to use a workout machine at Ohio State's weight room. Gentry told the coach it was one of the few machines that he could use and that he felt he was gaining strength. But the machine was popular with players and Gentry often had to wait.
The story continues that Gentry found the $6,000 machine in his garage a few days later, courtesy of the Buckeyes coach.
A great story, but Tressel said at Ohio State's bowl media day Thursday that it wasn't true.
"There's a little e-mail floating around that I purchased a weight machine for Tyson Gentry," Tressel said. "No, that's not the case."
Tressel said he did talk to Gentry about the machine, and asked Ohio State's conditioning coach if he knew the company that made the machine and if it were possible to get one.
Tressel said he was looking into NCAA compliance issues about helping Gentry get one of the machines when the company replied to an inquiry from the conditioning coach and provided one of the machines to Gentry.
"In all those e-mails I look like a good guy, but it was just the idea that was my good part," Tressel said.
