Enis Ineligible for Citrus

Penn State All-American running back Curtis Enis admitted Tuesday he accepted gifts from a sports agent and then lied about it, Coach Joe Paterno said.

Enis was declared ineligible for the Citrus Bowl and probably has played his last game for the Nittany Lions.

WHTM-TV in Harrisburg reported Friday that Houston-based agent Jeff Nalley bought Enis $400 in clothing Dec. 6 in a Harrisburg-area mall.

Paterno said a university investigation found that the charges had merit, and Paterno then confronted Enis.

“I think that he realized he made a mistake,” Paterno said during a conference call from Melbourne, Fla., where Penn State is practicing for its New Year’s Day game against No. 6 Florida. “He was trying to come clean with everything.”

After talking, the two men hugged and Paterno wished Enis well.

“He said he was sorry,” Paterno said, and then read from a statement from Enis: “I know I made a mistake. . . . I apologize to my teammates and my fans and ask for their understanding.”

Enis, a junior, led the No. 11 Nittany Lions in rushing with 1,363 yards. He started the season slowly but when Big Ten Conference play began ran for more than 100 yards in seven consecutive games. He ranks third all-time at Penn State with 3,256 yards.

Enis is the second Penn State star to be ruled ineligible for the Citrus Bowl. Wide receiver Joe Jurevicius won’t play because of poor grades.

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Oregon Coach Mike Bellotti moved quickly to replace departing offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter, naming Fresno State assistant Jeff Tedford to the post. Koetter, whose offense was one of the most productive in the Pac-10 in his two seasons in Eugene, left to become coach at Boise State.