Former Georgia Football player, Luke Ford still disrespected

The more waivers the NCAA grants the more they look biased, especially when it comes to the case of former Georgia football player, Luke Ford.

Aubrey Solomon, an ex-Michigan defensive lineman, is the lastest athlete granted a waiver to play this season by the NCAA. Solomon left Michigan and chose Tennessee over Georgia football as his next team.

As a freshman Solomon played in just five games. He entered the transfer pool looking for an expanded role. Now that he has been granted his waiver he will be the Vols’ starting defensive end.

Solomon’s waiver is the latest in a long list of waivers the NCAA granted this offseason. Including those to Justin Fields, Tate Martell, Jaden Hunter, and others.

This, once again, begs the question, why them and not Luke Ford. The NCAA rejected Ford’s application for a waiver because Carterville, Ill. is 187 miles from the University of Illinois. Which is outside of the 100-mile medical waiver rule added in 2012.

Luke transferred from Georgia to Illinois in January to be closer to his grandfather due to his fading health. Just two weeks ago his grandfather had a heart attack.

https://twitter.com/lukeredx97/status/1162435691235725313?s=20

This is why Luke Ford wanted a waiver to play for the University of Illinois in the first place. He wasn’t running away from competition, he wasn’t complaining about playing time, he just wanted to be closer to someone that means the world to him whose health is fading.

Family is the most important thing in a lot of people’s lives.

Why cave to those who only are thinking about themselves?

Where is the compassion, where is the empathy, NCAA, where is your humanity? As I stated earlier, there are more important things than football, but at the same time why not let this kid play the game that he loves while those that he cares about can share that with him?

Especially in Luke’s case when it was his grandfather that got him into football, to begin with.

This is what Jake Reuse, a recruiting analyst at UGASports had to say about the current transfer situation:

I agree, if the NCAA will not act more responsibly then it is time to go around them, and maybe drop them altogether. The NCAA is known for playing favorites, and not just in this situation. There are other reasons I believe the NCAA should be disbanded, but that

Even Georgia’s own David Pollack had something to say about the transfer portal:

I couldn’t agree more Mr. Pollack, this indeed is a joke. Unfortunately, the only ones laughing are those players, coaches, and teams that have taken advantage of such a ridiculous policy. While players like Ford are made to sit out a year because they would rather be closer to an ailing family member rather than prioritize football.

The NCAA is nothing more than a cruel bully, defining what is “close” in miles and defining who they see as “family.” While other athletes get immediate eligibility by using the excuse of “mitigating circumstances”, athletes that put family above football are left to sit out the year.

This must change.