Iowa State Star Leaves Team Amid Gambling Scandal
Running back Jirehl Brock is no longer a member of the Iowa State Cyclones.
Brock is accused of using an online gambling account under a name other than his own and placing $12,050 worth of bets, including 13 bets on ISU, according to KCCI. He's been charged with tampering with records, and faces a huge legal battle. Now, he's stepped away from the program in Ames.
KCCI reported late Tuesday afternoon that Brock "has voluntarily left" the program following the gambling scandal. A total of seven players are involved in the alleged gambling scandal. QB Hunter Dekkers is also accused of placing roughly 366 bets.
The team's QB has also stepped away from the program.
Iowa State running back Jirehl Brock leaves the program. (Photo by David K Purdy/Getty Images)
Jirehl Brock leaves Iowa State.
It didn't take long at all for Iowa State to scrub Brock's roster page from the team's site. As of Tuesday morning, people looking for his roster page are hit with a 404 page.
It appears the Cyclones are eager to put this situation behind them and cut ties as quickly as possible.
Iowa running back Jirehl Brock leaves the program after gambling scandal. (Credit: Iowa State Football website)
The situation also goes to show just how bad athletes gambling on sports has become. The NFL has suspended multiple people for violating the league's gambling policies and several athletes associated with Iowa and Iowa State have been charged.
It makes no sense why anyone would allegedly gamble under someone else's name knowing the consequences. You can disagree with the gambling policies, but the rules are the rules. The law is the law. Breaking the law to gamble on sports is simply not worth it.
Now, Jirehl Brock faces a massive legal fight and his football future is in jeopardy. Was it worth it to do some gambling? No smart person would say yes.
Jirehl Brock leaves Iowa State. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images)
Unfortunately, we all also know this isn't the end of the story. More players will be caught and the gambling circus will continue. Players need to start making much better decisions.