By Scott Hansen
MaxPreps.com
In the college ranks, medical hardships are granted for an extra year of eligibility quite often. Now, Shawnee star quarterback Tucker Brown has been awarded an unprecedented fifth year of eligibility by the Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association.
Brown came into the 2006 as one of the top players in the Sooner State after totaling over 3,500 yards and 31 touchdowns during his junior season, leading the Wolves in the Class 5A state semifinals.
In the quarterfinals against Tulsa Washington, an incident between Brown and a Washington player kicked off a firestorm of controversy.
On November 19, 2005, Washington's Jermaine Holmes jumped offsides in the dying seconds of the contest with Brown attempting to run out the clock by taking a knee. Holmes grabbed Brown by the helmet, and Brown retaliated by kicking out at Holmes.
Brown was ejected from the game, and due to OSSAA rules was forced to sit out the semifinal game against Tulsa East Central.
After nearly a three-week delay as an appeal worked its way through the judicial system, the Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled by a vote of 8-1 that Brown should sit out the semifinal game. East Central won the game and eventually took home the gold ball in Class 5A. Oklahoma governor Brad Henry, a Shawnee native, even gave his two cents saying that Brown should not be suspended for the semifinals.
With the incident behind him coming into the 2006 season, Brown was highly-regarded as one of the top quarterbacks in Oklahoma. In the second game of what was meant to be his senior season in a 41-18 victory over Noble, Brown's career appeared to be over after suffering a torn ACL.
Billy Brown, Tucker's father, is the head coach of the Wolves. After Tucker's injury, Shawnee dropped three-straight games before winning four out of its last five, just missing out on a playoff spot in District 5A-3.
Due to the fact that Brown participated in Shawnee's first two games, he will be forced to sit out the first two games of the 2007 season against Guthrie, a preseason favorite in Class 5A, and Noble.
Brown missed a plethora of time after his knee injury in September and did not resume classes full time until November.
Scott Hansen: oksportswriter@yahoo.com