Jim Tressel's cover-up leaves a permanent stain on his coaching legacy

Tressel said he thought the violations would eventually catch up with him, yet he never came forward, his previous knowledge discovered only through a school check of his e-mails in January. If that hadn't occurred, Tressel would have remained silent to this day.

He continued to put those players on the field while winning a Big Ten championship. When their violations were discovered in December, Tressel still didn't tell the truth.

There are three points here: Tressel's job status; his standing with the NCAA; and his reputation and his legacy. The first is safe, the second temporary and the last, forever and finally changed.

cleveland.com