Former UCLA Coach Rick Neuheisel Explains The Behind The Scenes Of The Kettlebell Incident, Says Justin Combs Only Got An Offer Because His Dad Was Diddy
Coaching Search – The incident involving musician Sean “Diddy” Combs and strength and conditioning coordinator Sal Alosi continues to evolve, but one person who still has a pulse on what goes on at UCLA is Rick Neuheisel.
Neuheisel recruited Diddy’s son, defensive back Justin Combs, to UCLA in 2011 while the head coach, and Neuheisel’s own son is currently a quarterback on the team. While co-hosting his show on SiriusXM College Sports Nation, Neuheisel shared some more information on what went down at the conditioning session between Alosi and Justin and says UCLA didn’t want to press charges after the incident. Neuheisel also said Diddy’s fame was a big factor in offering Justin a scholarship.
Four great parts of this interview:
1) Neuheisel with some behind the scenes knowledge of the actual incident, and how UCLA wanted to play it.
“There was a little history there,” Neuheisel said. “Justin had missed some workouts prior to this and had said to Sal that he was doing workouts with his dad’s private trainer. There are discretionary workouts and mandatory workouts. The NCAA has a window of time. Discretionary workouts, he missed, which he’s allowed to — they’re discretionary. He had said he’s working out with his dad’s trainer.
“So somehow, yesterday, and I still have a little pulse of what’s going on out there, Justin looks a little out of shape, and there was something said. He was actually removed from the workout. (Diddy) got the report from Justin and marched over.”
There, Diddy allegedly assaulted Alosi and swung a kettlebell at someone after Diddy was pulled off. But Neuheisel says this news may not have even gotten out if not for cameras in the weight room.
“What I learned was they were going to let this go, because the UCLA folks didn’t want to press charges,” Neuheisel said. “But when the campus police arrived on the scene, they looked at the film.”
Interesting that UCLA didn’t want to press charges and let the whole thing go. Damn campus cops messing everything up.
2) The question that’s been on everyone’s mind since the moment they read the story, and what I’ve been furiously refreshing Twitter for the past few days:
“I think Jim Mora made the right kind of statement, in terms of letting this settle down,” Neuheisel said. “ I’m sure Justin feels horrible for two things. One, putting his dad in the situation where he inflamed him by going home and telling him what happened at practice instead of just dealing with it. Now Justin has to determine whether or not he can still be a part of this team, which has high hopes for the season. What’s amazing is that this was all on film. In this world we live in, the film … who’s going to get that film?”
Where’s the video? How did TMZ not buy that shit yet? Need that video like I need air.
3) Diddy didn’t know who Rick Neuheisel was as he was literally giving them the campus tour, and
4) Justin Combs only got offered because of who his dad was.
Neuheisel also talked about the process of recruiting Justin Combs and admitted it would be “doubtful” Combs would be playing at UCLA if not for his father’s fame.
“I took them on their campus tour,” Neuheisel said. “A half-hour into it, (Diddy) asked me who I was. He said, ‘Tell me what you do, Rick.’ I said I’m the head football coach here. He said, ‘You’re giving us the tour?’ I said, ‘Absolutely, this is my school. This is where I went. I want to give you a feel of what it’s like to be a student.’ … When you’re weighing the assets of what a youngster can do for your program, there’s no question (being Diddy’s son) had something to do with it for me. Justin is a great kid. His problem was his size. He’s not big enough to be a dominant player. Could he be productive? Yes. The fact his father was an influential guy played into my decision to go ahead and offer him.”
Yikes. That basically seals the deal that Combs has to transfer right? I mean it was basically already expected, what with your dad trying to freaking murder someone with a kettleball and everything. But for your team to hear all this and to lose respect in the locker room like that is brutal. The guy who offered you coming out and openly saying that he only did because your dad is Diddy. That you’re too small to ever be dominant but your dad is famous. That’s rough.
