06/10/26 02:00:00
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06/10 13:59 CDT Texas Tech defends playing QB Brendan Sorsby amid gambling
addiction, says 'it's not murder'
Texas Tech defends playing QB Brendan Sorsby amid gambling addiction, says
'it's not murder'
By KRISTIE RIEKEN
AP Sports Writer
HOUSTON (AP) --- Sports leadership at Texas Tech on Wednesday defended their
plans to play quarterback Brendan Sorsby next season while he treats his
gambling addiction, insisting they are not trying to "engineer his eligibility"
through the courts and dismissing widespread criticism t hat includes the
president of the NCAA.
Speaking to the Houston Touchdown Club, coach Joey McGuire acknowledged the
"rage" surrounding the situation, with athletic directors across college
football saying that the NCAA ban on players who gamble should remain
sacrosanct and a court order won this week by Sorsby crossed a line that should
never be crossed.
"For some reason, as a society, we've been OK with other things that happen and
allowing players to play, and this has been the one thing that has united
people, that they were against," McGuire said. "It's crazy because it's not
murder, it's not beating somebody -- so there's a lot of things that we're
working through. None of this is OK."
Athletic director Kirby Hocutt also released a statement to "offer a few facts
that seem to be getting lost in the noise" and noting the school is not part of
Sorsby's lawsuit against the NCAA.
"A young man in treatment for a clinically diagnosed addiction exercised his
legal right to seek a remedy in court and a judge agreed with him," Hocutt
said. "Our role has been to support his recover, not to engineer his
eligibility."
Under the court order, Sorsby will be suspened for the first two games of the
season. The NCAA plans to appeal the ruling, with President Charlie Baker
telling reporters in Las Vegas that the case illustrated "a new low" in college
sports.
McGuire likened Sorsby recovering from his addiction to fellow Texas Tech
quarterback Will Hammond's recovery from knee surgery.
"He's recovering," McGuire said. "I've sat down with this young man multiple
times and the things that he is going through and what he's been through, it's
serious."
"And I have a number of people in my family that were addicted to different
stuff and so I've seen what addiction does to people," he said. "And so, us
even saying to the point before we get to the legal part, that he could be
ready in Week 3 against Houston is still a stretch because guess what, he's
still recovering."
McGuire added that Sorsby was "back in the building" after spending some time
away from the facilities while he was dealing with his issues.
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