After struggling for years to get eligibility, this ex-Ole Miss player tweeted this

Former Ole Miss defensive lineman Jerrell Powe’s journey to the field in Oxford was not an easy one thanks to the NCAA. Ten years after his eligibility saga ended, Powe was sure to let the NCAA know he hasn’t forgotten the troubles he endured.

Powe was a highly-regarded defensive line prospect who signed with Ole Miss in 2005, but the NCAA ruled he did not have the required core classes. Powe, who has learning disabilities, attended a prep school and signed with Ole Miss again in 2006, only for the NCAA to question whether Powe’s teachers gave him too much help in his effort to qualify.

After years of back and forth, Powe was finally deemed eligible for the 2008 season. He played three seasons for the Rebels before moving on to the NFL, where he was drafted in the sixth round by the Kansas City Chiefs at 24 years old.

Powe returned to Ole Miss to finish his degree once his NFL career ended after five seasons. To commemorate his graduation on Saturday, Powe sarcastically tweeted an invitation to current NCAA president Mark Emmert — who at the time was the president at the University of Washington — and the late Myles Brand, who was NCAA president at the time of Powe’s eligibility saga.

Powe tweeted a graphic Monday that said “The National Collegiate Athletic Association and Executive Directors Mark Emmert and Myles Brand are cordially invited to the University of Mississippi Commencement Ceremony recognizing the graduation of Jerrell Powe”.

In his tweet to the NCAA, Powe wrote, “Take a break [from] keeping young men from getting a college education & celebrate [with] me on Sat as I walk the stage to receive my #OleMiss diploma.”

This story was originally published May 8, 2018 at 10:44 AM with the headline "After struggling for years to get eligibility, this ex-Ole Miss player tweeted this."