'He deserves to play': Tez Walker, UNC football await decision from NCAA after eligibility debacle

Devontez Walker’s biggest fan has yet to watch him play college football in person.

The North Carolina wide receiver's grandmother, Loretta Black, couldn't travel to Ohio to see him play at Kent State due to severe scoliosis and multiple hip and knee surgeries. Before he went to college, Walker was her caretaker.

Walker cited his primary reason for transferring to North Carolina as wanting to be closer to her.

Black planned on being in attendance when the UNC football team opens its season against South Carolina on Sept. 2 in Walker's hometown of Charlotte. Then, on Aug. 8, UNC football coach Mack Brown announced that the NCAA had denied the preseason All-ACC player's immediate eligibility.

“I was shocked, I didn’t understand why [his waiver was denied],” she said. “He went through the proper procedure to do this. He did his research and everything to see if he could make this move.”

Walker, who hasn't had a general media availability since spring camp, released a statement on the UNC football team's X account soon after the news broke.

"I just want to play," Walker's statement read. "I want my grandmother to come watch me. I want to be a student and an athlete and I hope those in charge give me that opportunity."

Transfer eligibility rules change

Walker spent his first year of college at N.C. Central, but the MEAC canceled its football season because of COVID-19. The next year, Walker transferred to Kent State. Since Walker transferred schools twice, he would have had to sit out a season before playing for the Tar Heels.

Walker, however, filled out a waiver to allow him to forgo that requirement. In the past, these waivers have been available to players facing financial hardship, familial medical situations or the cancellation of academic programs.

However, two days after Walker enrolled in classes at North Carolina for the spring semester, the NCAA changed its guidelines in regard to two-time transfers, making it harder for them to gain immediate eligibility.

According to the NCAA’s new directive, there are only two reasons a player can transfer to a four-year school a second time and be immediately eligible to play — either because of danger to the athlete’s well-being or because of "exigent" circumstances outside of the athlete’s control.

“They’ve eliminated all the different types of waivers and said, ‘Hey, these two circumstances are the only reasons we’ll even consider a [second four-year university to four-year university] transfer as an undergrad,’” Marielle vanGelder, the Associate Director of Athletics for Compliance at North Carolina, said. “So they kind of backed off all of the other areas where previously we’d be able to seek relief in a given category.”

Public rallies behind Walker

Soon after Walker’s waiver was denied, the University appealed the NCAA’s decision. Social media was flooded with support for Walker, and even politicians and media figures became involved.

"I just don't see why the NCAA keeps drawing these arbitrary lines in the sand," ESPN analyst Jay Bilas told The Daily Tar Heel.

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper announced on Aug. 9 that he sent a letter to NCAA President and former colleague Charlie Baker, urging him to reverse the decision.

"This is the first time I have taken such an action, but this is an unusual and compelling case amidst the backdrop of all the major changes happening in the NCAA," the letter read.

The University is currently awaiting a decision from the NCAA’s Division I Committee for Legislative Relief as to whether they will reverse the decision to make Walker sit. The committee consists of seven athletic department leaders from seven different conferences. 

“[We hope] that they’d recognize the difficulty of those decisions and do the right thing for Tez and for all the other student-athletes that are maybe in the same position,” vanGelder said. “We’ll keep fighting it on our end and try to get to a positive resolution for him.”

With North Carolina's season opener just over a week away, Walker's absence would be a big hit to UNC's dynamic offense and an even bigger disappointment for his grandmother. 

“He deserves to play, and we don’t appreciate it how he would be missing out," Black said.
@thenoahmonroe

@dthsports | sports@dailytarheel.com