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[bullwark]

Former University of Louisville tight end Wayne Riles said yesterday that he left the football team to move closer to his Albany, Ga., home, but also to get out of what he called "a bad situation, the way the coaching staff ran things."

Riles, a sophomore who was listed at the top of the Cardinals' depth chart heading into preseason workouts, would not elaborate on what he meant by the reference to the coaches.

He quit the team less than two weeks before workouts began. In an interview with The Courier-Journal last night, he cited a desire to move back home and unhappiness with the situation at UofL, as well as concern that he wasn't ready to come back from off-season shoulder surgery.

"The main thing was just getting back home, being close to my family," he said. "I was really unhappy up there, and I felt it was affecting the way I played."

Head coach Bobby Petrino declined to be interviewed in response to Riles' statements, but he issued a statement through the UofL sports information office in which he said: "It's unfortunate Wayne didn't come back. He had a bright future ahead of him. He would have been very successful here at the University of Louisville."

Riles first expressed dissatisfaction with the coaches in a story posted on The Albany (Ga.) Herald Web site, saying, "They weren't going about things the right way."

He acknowledged making those comments last night, but when asked to be more specific, he said: "A bunch of people from our class have left. I don't know exactly what it was, but evidently it was something if all these people keep leaving.

"I really don't want to comment on that because coach Petrino was nice to me. He gave me an opportunity to play football, and I appreciate him for that. I've caused him enough trouble. Hopefully, things will change and people will start liking it and start to stay."

Riles is the fifth scholarship player in Petrino's initial 24-man recruiting class to leave the team. Quarterback Eddie Miller transferred to UCLA after Trinity quarterback Brian Brohm signed. Tight end Thomas Boyce left after spring practice, and twins Eric and Thomas Miller went home after both suffered injuries in spring practice.

Riles said he obtained his release from the UofL compliance office Monday after Petrino initially told him he wouldn't grant it. In denying him the release, Riles said, Petrino told him: "I want you to learn your lesson from this. I feel like you're making a bad decision. It's a part of life; we all make bad decisions. I just want you to learn your lesson."

Petrino said through the sports information office last night that his intent wasn't to punish Riles but to follow NCAA transfer guidelines, which require a player to sit out one season without receiving scholarship money unless granted a release by the school he left.

With a release, Riles will be allowed to enroll at another school  likely to be Georgia Tech  on scholarship and attend classes this year before playing next season.

Riles added last night that he was satisfied with the medical treatment and training advice he received at UofL. Though he said he would have felt pressure to play while not at 100percent, he added, "I'm sure (team doctors) would have gone about it the right way."

Wayne Riles Sr. said he spoke with a "very upset" Petrino twice Friday before calling the compliance office himself on Monday to facilitate his son's release.

"I didn't blame coach Petrino for being upset," the father said. "This was bad timing, and we told Wayne it was bad timing. But he was unhappy, and whatever he decided to do we were going to support him.

"Coach Petrino was telling me it was devastating to his program, especially on such short notice. And I said, `I agree with you, Coach, but I've got to support my son.'"

[Mhscard95]

This is a non-story that guy was not that good and what he is upset about is that U of L recruited instate players or talked about moving players like Tinch and Bush that are better than him to his postition and Petrino was giving them a chance to take away "his" starting position.  So he got mad and quit and took his ball home.

[Guest S.  Bien]

Well that took a little zip out of that stellar 2003 class you guys signed.  Although, not a big loss with the Miller Twins, they were very overhyped, and only one was truly a very good 1-A DB, the other was a package deal.

I still love your Tallahasee haul.  Outside of FSU you guys slayed Tally that year.  You'll find when its all said and done two of your best players in that class will be William Gay, and Kolby Smith.   Gay's a Sunday afternoon type of player, and so is Smith at FB.  Those guys are big time, I was jealous with those signings.

[E.T.]

Cards will be very tough at Papa John's