UTSA QB opens up on former Memphis player sharing playbook in huge college football scandal

UTSA quarterback Owen McCown downplayed any importance of the messages shared with him by ex-Memphis player Tahj Ra-El last season that included parts of the Tigers’ playbook.

McCown told Sports Illustrated he didn’t share the information with teammates or coaches, and that the story, first reported by TigerSportsReport, has been mischaracterized.

“Out of the blue, for whatever reason, [Ra-El] sent me a couple images that were completely irrelevant,” McCown said. “If anybody gets anything, you’re going to look at it, but it was of no help whatsoever to me and anybody, really. I would never do something like that. So it was completely irrelevant. Bottom line is that’s not how we process things.”

McCown and Ra-El were teammates at Myers Park High School near Charlotte.

UTSA coach Jeff Traylor also said that McCown didn’t share the information with him.

“The moment I found out, I called Owen,” Traylor told SI. “And Owen called me back and said, ‘He was a high school buddy of mine, he randomly texted me some stuff,’ and was like, ‘Coach, it doesn’t even make any sense. That’s why I didn’t say anything to you about it.’

“I’m in the quarterback room with Owen every day. I know he knew nothing about this. I immediately called [Memphis coach] Ryan [Silverfield] and let him know what Owen told me and Ryan told me it was not a big deal at all.”

Ra-El shared the messages before UTSA faced Memphis last Nov. 2, a game the Roadrunners won, 44-36. 

“That’s all the signals,” Ra-El writes, after sending a play sheet to McCown.

According to TigerSportsReport, Ra-El was dismissed from the team in October and he declined comment to TigerSportsReport. He is currently at Purdue.

“Our coaching staff sees the scenario as being mischaracterized and does not have any concerns moving forward,” Purdue told local media in a statement.

Silverfield said he learned of the incident shortly after the game in question.

“There were some rumors going around about it, that our playbook had been shared with him from a former player that was no longer part of our program,” he said. “And it is what it is.

“As disappointing as it is to not win a football game, the circumstances had nothing to do with that. We’ve got to move folks forward. Really, in the last 72 hours, it’s come back to light. Coach Traylor and I have had conversations together, we’ve got respect for each other.

“Every coach has had guys who have left in the middle of the season or left before bowl games. Whether you try to cut iPad access to playbook stuff off or whether you give out paper copies to do that, people taking screenshots, taking pictures, it’s the nature of [college football] nowadays.”