Joel Klatt takes NCAA to task for denying transfer waiver for Colorado’s Tyler Brown

The NCAA’s language regarding transfer portal waivers specifies that the organization prioritizes the mental health of its athletes. But in the case of Colorado offensive lineman Tyler Brown, Joel Klatt believes that language is bogus.

Brown, who had previously transferred from Louisiana to Jackson State, attempted to follow coach Deion Sanders after he left Jackson State to take the job at Colorado. But the NCAA, which voted earlier this year to limit waivers on second-time transfers, denied Brown immediate eligibility to play for the Buffaloes this season.

The NCAA’s new guidelines do allow immediate eligibility on their second transfer if there is a physical or mental health reason, however. Brown has a pretty good reason, which Klatt explained on “The Joel Klatt Show.”

“Hardship waiver claims go through all the time,” Klatt said. “Tyler Brown was denied his immediate eligibility for his second transfer despite citing mental health reasons for his transfer.”

As Klatt explained, Brown has seen more than his fair share of trauma.

“Okay, Tyler began his career at Louisiana-Lafayette. They had a coach named D.J. Looney who Tyler was very close to. In fact, as Tyler put it, had become very much a father figure to him when he didn’t have many father figures in his life prior. D.J. Looney died in front of Tyler on the field tragically of a heart attack. Tyler could barely go on. Didn’t know how to function. … Can you imagine the heartache? … So he transferred, said he couldn’t be there anymore, it reminded him too much of that tragedy. So he transfers to Jackson State.

“Luckily for him, he found a coaching staff, led by Coach Prime, that welcomed him with open arms at Jackson State. So, there Tyler is, and he finds another coaching staff that he’s like ‘man, I’ve found this father figure type environment.’ And an environment in which they did not look down on him for opening up about the struggles he faced. … Then he suffers an injury at Jackson State. When he was away from football, his mental health struggles increase, because now he no longer has that outlet to work through some of these issues. … He tries to follow [his coach] to Colorado, and the NCAA denies his waiver.”

Sanders thanked Klatt for his comments and also expressed frustration in a press conference on Tuesday.

“It don’t make sense,” Sanders said. “Some things just don’t make sense. You say you really care about mental health, but when you have someone really dealing with mental health, there’s a problem. Then, ostracizing him and not allowing him to do what he’s blessed and gifted to do and the thing that presents him peace, that’s trying for a young man.”

But Klatt took things a step further, claiming that the NCAA could be in danger of losing members if it continues to make moves like this.

“This is a membership model,” he said. “These schools and conferences have to opt in to the membership of the NCAA. When you’re this petty, when you’re this non-empathetic, when you’re this bureaucratic, in particular in a robotic sense, when you’re this inept, when you’re this insecure … people will stop being members.”