Family Of Ex-Wolverine Sims Not Happy With NCAA's Waiver Decision, Questioning U-M Response

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Photo credit Michigan Wolverines running back Hassan Haskins (25) and Michigan Wolverines defensive back Myles Sims (6) celebrate a win over Michigan State -- Photo: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports
97.1 The Ticket -- The family of a former Michigan football player is speaking out after his waiver request for immediate eligibility was denied earlier this week.

Myles Sims, an Atlanta-area native, announced back in the spring he would be transferring to Georgia Tech to be closer to home. His request to be able to play right away was denied, and his family is putting some of the blame on the Michigan staff for allegedly blocking the waiver.

According to a story from the Atlanta Journal Constitution, the family says when Sims told head coach Jim Harbaugh and his staff that he was transferring, the family was on speakerphone with him and simply said he should transfer and be closer to home, saying nothing more.

The family says, according to the AJC story, that the statement Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel submitted to the NCAA for case documentation stated that Sims -- who red-shirted in his first year in Ann Arbor last season -- instead left for a fresh start and more playing time.

"The disappointment is in knowing that they included just a few words outside of what we said to mislead the NCAA in their decision-making," his mother, Katrina Sims, told the AJC. "Whether that weighed in heavily or not on the documentation that we provided, we take issue with that."

A Michigan spokesman said that the school, "as is the case with all transfers leaving the school seeking waivers, did not oppose Sims’ waiver request and followed standard policy," according to the newspaper.

Georgia Tech appealed the NCAA's decision on Sims, as well as a denied waiver request from defensive end Antonneous Clayton, a transfer from Florida.

While the family did not disclose specifics of the personal reasons for Sims' transfer, they said they submitted to the NCAA sufficient documentation from doctors to support their case.

"That’s why we’re so upset, because we exceeded what (the NCAA) wanted from us,” Myles’ father Merrick Sims told the AJC. "Because they asked us for the documentation and we gave them the legitimate documentation."