Jamel Dean was one of the early enrollees of the Ohio State program so his entry into the Buckeyes was expected by many. However, OSU's medical staff did not give him the clearance he needed to join the team. Thus he was effectively disqualified and people have been asking why ever since. Some were quick to defend the medical staff's decision while others accused them of playing a numbers game.

Coach Urban Meyer has finally made his comment on the matter to put the issue at rest. He said that he was definitely not happy when he heard about the DQ either but he went on to defend Ohio State in their decision. For his part, he was simply trying to help Dean with an athletic scholarship.

Critics suggest that it was the scholarship limit that prevented Jamel Dean from playing and not any medical issues. They say that Ohio State exceeded this slightly and needed to cut some players off the team. This theory caught fire until it could not be ignored. The coach says he was shocked to hear these accusations. He pointed out that the decision was made early in the year prior to the signing of additional members for the class of 2015. There was no numbers issue then or now.

It's not the first time that the team is losing players due to medical issues. Football is a very physical sport and injuries are rampant. Cornerback Armani Reeves suffered concussions and had to stop playing. Devan Bogard tore his ACL several times and had to rehabilitate his knee. Rod Tanner had similar woes.

Despite these injuries, Meyer says that the program continues to take care of the players. They receive support to ensure that they will be able to continue on with life after their college football career has ended. It is something that the athletic department feels strongly about so getting aid from the administration is not a problem.