Jim Grobe meets with media prior to Wednesday practice

Baylor head coach Jim Grobe gave the following quote during his Wednesday meeting with the media regarding his previous comments on former Baylor defensive lineman Shawn Oakman.

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“I’d like to clarify some things from our press conference from earlier this week. On Monday the question was asked if I knew that Shawn Oakman was in the locker room in the game. I responded that I do not know Shawn Oakman, and with that I meant that I’ve never met him. He did not play for me, I did no recruit him, and I wouldn’t recognize him.

“Had I recognized him, the situation would have been handled differently, but regardless of that, my comment of ‘I don’t know him’ was taken out of context and the way it was portrayed by some in the media, in my opinion, was unprofessional and unfair.

“Maybe it would have been appropriate to follow up with the question with, ‘Do you know that Shawn Oakman played for Baylor?’ Or, ‘Did you know that after his senior season he was charged with a criminal offense?’  To those questions I would have obviously answered yes. I’m very aware of the misconduct issues that impacted this program prior to my arrival and the players involved, but my focus and my priority from the day I arrived have been the actions of both on and off the field of the guys who play for me now.

“The locker room after a game, and particularly after a win, can be a busy environment. There was not security to prevent people from coming onto the field and it is not unusual that former players come into the locker room after a game, especially after a win.

“I don't believe it was a good idea for Shawn to be in our locker room, and had I been made aware of the situation in advance, it would not have happened.”