Where's Line on Second Chances?

The University of Tennessee extended a scholarship offer to 6-foot-5, 255 pound Daniel Hood of Knoxville Catholic High School. Hood has solid grades, a great ACT score, hasn't gotten in trouble in high school, and is a three-star recruit. There's just one problem: At the age of 13 he was convicted of aggravated kidnapping and the rape of his first cousin with a toilet plunger after covering 70 percent of her body with duct tape. Hood later appealed the conviction, which the appeals court rejected.

On Tuesday, Hood signed scholarship papers with Tennessee, and the university immediately began the public relations campaign to justify his admission. University president Mike Hamilton, coach Lane Kiffin, and the head of public relations for the university all issued statements on the signing. So did officials at Knoxville Catholic High School and Daniel Hood. But Hood's conviction raises a couple of intriguing questions, can you do something so bad at 13 that you don't deserve a second chance? And do sports really even qualify as a second chance? Especially when playing sports for the University of Tennessee is a privilege, not a right.

(Warning: Court transcripts after the jump involve mature language.)

The facts of each case dictate how we view the defendants. All crimes are not created equal. Sometimes the details can be so heinous, they're hard to escape. Such is the case with Daniel Hood. Merely stating that he has "character issues" is a trite euphemism that disguises what actually happened on August 11, 2003. That night Hood and an older friend, 17-year-old Robert Sanrico, who is currently serving 10 years in prison, raped and kidnapped a 14-year-old girl.

From the Tennessee Court of Appeals opinion:

"The defendant (Hood) and Sanico then carried the victim to the defendant's bedroom. She was placed face down on one of the beds in the room. The victim testified that both the defendant and Sanico continued to laugh. She stated that she began to kick them, and that, in response to this kicking, "somebody grabbed [her] legs and held them together." Either the defendant or Sanico then placed a strip of duct tape across the victim's eyes. A piece of tape was next placed over her mouth. The victim testified that she could no longer see or speak. Her ankles were then taped together. The victim stated that she felt two hands holding her ankles together while the other individual applied the tape to her ankles."

Last year Daniel Hood was named Mr. Football in the state of Tennessee. He led his high school, Knoxville Catholic, to a 15-0 record and a class 3A state title. Along the way he amassed 27 scholarship offers from schools across the country. Then schools began to hear the details about the 2003 incident, his "character issue," and offers began to dry up. Soon Lincoln and his 3.8 GPA and 27 ACT had no major scholarship offers.

"The victim next testified to hearing Sanico tell the defendant to get a toilet plunger and cellophane. The defendant retrieved a plunger from the bathroom connected to his bedroom. The victim then heard the door to the defendant's bedroom open and shut. At this point, either the defendant or Sanico exited the bedroom and retrieved the cellophane from the kitchen. The duct tape that was tying her ankles together was then removed. The victim testified that she began to kick. In the struggle, she was flipped back onto her stomach, face down. She testified that the defendant and Sanico restrained her legs. Her legs were then pulled apart, and each ankle was taped to the side of the bed frame."

In sports we're often asked to give second chances to athletes for off-field transgressions. Sometimes that extends into third, fourth and fifth chances. Generally we comply because when it comes right down to it, we're all liberals in the case of talented athletes; we believe that with the right environment, the right coaching, the right support, they can succeed.

But often this distinction is artificial. We're not asking whether or not Daniel Hood should get a second chance in life. Plainly, he already has. With his GPA, his test scores, and his graduation from a top private school in Knoxville, he'd likely be admitted to dozens of colleges, free to pursue whatever course of study he chose. None of that would be an issue. Daniel Hood has already received his second chance at life.

"The cover or blanket was then taken off of the victim. Sanico inserted the handle of the plunger, which had been wrapped in the cellophane, inside the victim's vagina. Sanico asked the defendant if he wanted to do it himself. The defendant answered, "No, man, that's my cousin." After the plunger was taken out of the victim's vagina, a liquid was poured onto her body. According to the victim's testimony, the defendant and Sanico stated that the liquid was Sanico's urine. Later testimony would suggest that the liquid was actually Kool Aid."

Daniel Hood's football highlight film on Rivals.com has been watched 17,594 times.

The defendant later cut the tape from the victim's wrists. The victim immediately removed the tape from her eyes and mouth. The victim next cut the tape that was restraining her ankles to the bed. She testified that the defendant and Sanico began watching television as if nothing had occurred. The victim walked out of the defendant's bedroom with 70% of her body covered in duct tape. She encountered Collins [Tasha Collins, another cousin staying in the home that night] and asked Collins to retrieve her clothes from the defendant's bedroom. The victim then called a friend and asked the friend to pick her up. The friend arrived about five minutes later and took her to the hospital."

Now we're faced with a more difficult question, should a second chance at life extend to athletics? Can anyone who has read the actual details of this incident really feel that comfortable rooting for this kid on the football field? This isn't a case of accusation where an athlete deserves a presumption of innocence. This is the case of a kid found guilty and a court of appeals affirming that conviction.

Hood's victim doesn't oppose his playing football for Tennessee. In the nearly six years since this incident, Hood has not been in trouble. Daniel Hood will run through the T this fall only because he was such a young juvenile when he committed this crime that he didn't go to prison. Otherwise instead of wearing orange and white next fall, Hood would be wearing an orange prison jumpsuit.

There's something really wrong with that. And I think it ultimately says more about us, than it does about Daniel Hood.