As Oklahoma linebacker Owen Heinecke prepares for a pivotal court hearing this week, his former high school coach is pushing back on the NCAA’s arguments to deny him another year of eligibility.
In a statement filed last week ahead of Thursday’s hearing, Heinecke’s head coach at Bishop Kelley JJ Tappana defended Heinecke’s path to college football and directly countered claims made in the NCAA’s legal response.
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The NCAA filed a response asking the court to deny Heinecke’s request for an injunction, arguing he simply exhausted his five-year eligibility window and made choices that led to his situation.
But Tappana says that argument ignores the reality of Heinecke’s circumstances.
“Owen never would have been a walk-on if he was not a senior during COVID and for injuries that plagued him during his high school career,” Tappana wrote.
He said COVID-19 disruptions eliminated in-person recruiting opportunities, forcing schools to rely strictly on film, something that worked against a two-way player like Heinecke.
“Every comment was basically ‘we need to see him in person,’” Tappana said, referencing conversations with programs like Oklahoma State and Duke.
Tappana also pointed to injuries that complicated Heinecke’s recruiting timeline, including a torn labrum suffered during his senior season that required surgery during the recruiting process.
He argued that, under normal conditions, Heinecke’s combination of academics and athletic ability would have led to Division I football offers.
Instead, Heinecke accepted a Division I lacrosse opportunity at Ohio State, a decision now central to the NCAA’s eligibility ruling.
In its filing, the NCAA argues Heinecke’s situation was not beyond his control.
The organization says he declined multiple football scholarship offers before choosing to attend Ohio State on a lacrosse scholarship with no guarantee of joining the football team.
It also argues:
- Heinecke does not have legal standing to challenge NCAA bylaws
- His claims of harm are “speculative”
- He knew about the five-year eligibility clock when he enrolled
“(Heinecke) cannot plead ignorance,” the filing states.
Comparison fuels fairness debate
Heinecke team of lawyers are also pointing to what they see as inconsistent NCAA rulings.
A comparison included in filings contrasts Heinecke’s case with Laurence Seymore, who was recently granted another year of eligibility after transferring to Texas.
According to that comparison:
- Seymore played four seasons across four schools and logged more than 1,300 snaps
- Heinecke has played three seasons with fewer than 500 snaps
Despite that, Seymore was ruled eligible while Heinecke was denied.
What’s at stake
Heinecke is seeking a preliminary injunction that would allow him to return to Oklahoma for another season.
Without it, the NCAA says he still has a path forward in the NFL.
“If this Court denies injunctive relief… he will ascend to the NFL,” the NCAA argued.
But Heinecke’s camp argues another college season could significantly impact his development, leadership role, and draft position.
The hearing is scheduled for April 16, just one week before the NFL Draft.
That leaves Heinecke balancing two futures:
- Return to Oklahoma if the court rules in his favor
- Or enter the draft as a late-round prospect if it does not
The case will now be decided in court, with testimony expected to focus on whether COVID disruptions, injuries and NCAA rules were fairly applied.
A ruling will determine whether Heinecke gets one more season in Norman or moves on to the NFL.
ORIGINAL: NCAA denies Owen Heinecke’s eligibility petition; appeal forthcoming
Coach’s full statement:
To Whom it May Concern,
I am writing this on behalf of Owen Heinecke. Owen played football for me at Bishop Kelley High School. During those high school years, he was widely considered one of the best players we have had come through here. Additionally, his time at the University of Oklahoma, in particular this season where he has had a chance to be in a starting rotation, he is cementing his reputation as maybe the best football player we have had in the past 30 years.
However, his success did come at a price. He fought a nagging hip injury his entire senior year and then tore his labrum during the playoffs of that same year. A labrum tear has a long and intensive rehab especially while trying to get recruited to play football. That surgery was a few weeks after his season and spilled over into the recruiting process.
The spring before Owens senior year in football, Covid hit and of course it changed everything. Most football recruiting came to a stop. No in-person recruiters, no college summer camps and during the season there were no recruiters at games etc. Recruiting turned into a film-only type process. I have distinct memories of conversations about Owen with colleges like Oklahoma State and Duke where the coaches loved his film and loved him but declined due to their own policies about recruiting during Covid. Every comment was basically “we need to see him in person; we need to figure out where he fits since he plays both sides of the ball.” I have text messages as well stating the same things. Owen is highly intelligent and carried a 4.5 GPA and over a 30 on the ACT. That, alone with his football skills, in any normal year, would have gotten him offers to the highest division 1 academic institutions. He had some smaller school offers. Everyone loves his story about being a walk-on to where he is today, but I have told anyone that will listen, he NEVER would have been a walk-on if he was not a senior during covid and for injuries that plagued him during his high school career.
Owen had an offer to play lacrosse at Ohio State. At the time he was one of two D1 lacrosse offers in the history of the state of Oklahoma. He was taking the best opportunity to play a sport at the highest level possible. Everyone who knew him knew where his heart really was.
Due to covid his story has been one of resiliency, one that has gotten him a single year of being in the starting rotation. I have been a head coach for 22 years and placed over sixty players in college football. Without Covid and his injuries, I am convinced he would have been offered by any number of universities, and he would have been a starter for multiple years. It is strange that the NCAA gave relief to college players with extended eligibility during covid but seems to not be offering that same relief to the high school players that also had their trajectories altered due to the disruptions caused by Covid. – Heinecke’s high school coach, JJ Tappana.
