Eligibility Problems Sideline WSU Tackle

Washington State defensive tackle Leon Bender had been ruled ineligible for the 1995-96 school year and will redshirt this season, according to Cougars coach Mike Price.

Price announced late Thursday afternoon that the 6-foot-6, 257-pound junior, who was expected to start this fall, has been re-instated at WSU but has failed to meet the NCAA’s new eligibility criteria.

Price said Bender will not practice with the team this fall, even though he could do so under NCAA rules.

“Until he gets his act straightened out academically, there’s no reason for him to participate,” Price explained. “He has major work to do to get himself turned around, and I’m not going to allow him to use ‘I don’t have enough time’ as an excuse.

“I’m not going to make demands on him footballwise.”

Price, citing confidentially between a student athlete and his or her professors, refused to explain why Bender was ruled ineligible, saying only that he was deficient in more than one of the academic areas outlined in the NCAA’s new eligibility requirements.

“It’s nothing major,” Price said. “He came close, he just didn’t make it.”

Price said Bender, who played a key role as a backup on last year’s 8-4 Alamo Bowl championship team, will still have two years of eligibility remaining next fall.

“It’s still really too bad for Leon,” Price added, “but we’re going to go on. Washington State is still going to play football games and we’re still going to have a helluva defense.

“It’s just too bad that he’s not going to be with us when we win games.”

Bender came to WSU as a Prop 48 recruit in 1993 and sat out that season under NCAA rules to concentrate on academics. As a sophomore last fall, he played in six games and had a hand in six tackles - including one for a loss.

He also recovered a fumble.

, DataTimes