Baxter caught lying


During a spring practice, when he made this run, we all knew Dillon Baxter would be a handful on the field. Who knew that he’d be this much of a handful off the field as well?

Baxter, already suspended for the season opener at Hawaii for violating team rules (coach Lane Kiffin is still debating whether he will travel with the team), allegedly lied to former Athletic Director Mike Garrett about other schools illegally contacting him.

Right after the NCAA handed down its sanctions to USC, a university compliance officer sent letters to the Pac-10 alleging that five schools had inappropriately contacted the freshman phenomenon.  The schools denied those allegations and Garrett then sent letters of apology to Florida, Alabama, Washington, Oregon and Fresno State.

But now, information has come to the surface that those schools actually never did contact Baxter. Through a Freedom of Information Act request, ESPN.com’s Shaun Assael obtained a letter dated June 24, 2010, signed by Baxter that was included with Garrett’s apology.

In the letter, Baxter says he discussed his plans with friends at the school and that no schools ever contacted him. However, he also wrote that he went to receivers coach John Morton’s office and said that other schools contacted him.

“The fact [sic] are not such. I was not contacted by other schools but it was me talking to my friends about what I was going to do,” Baxter wrote.  “I am truly sorry for all of the chaos I have caused and it was not my intention to implicate other schools and their coaching staffs. I realize my actions do not represent how I was raised and the type of person I am. I would like everyone to know that I will do a better job thinking before I act.”