The NCAA Infractions Appeals Committee Tuesday rejected an appeal of severe sanctions handed down earlier this year to the University of Alabama football program.

The sanctions include a two-year ban on pre and post season play.

Demopolis resident Johnny Brooker, a member of the University of Alabama team from 1978 to 1982, was obviously disappointed with Tuesday’s ruling. "Those involved are gone, and the people (the current players) that are hurting had nothing to do with it," Brooker said. "Yet, they’re being penalized the most.

Despite the fewer scholarships, there are enough young men who will want to wear the Crimson uniform, Grayson said. "All the juniors and seniors had an opportunity to leave and play somewhere else," Brooker said. "Whether you’re being recruited by every school, if you have the opportunity to play at Alabama, it’s hard to compare it to anything else."

The Alabama Crimson Tide hosts Southern Mississippi Saturday night in Tuscaloosa’s Bryant-Denny Stadium.