How a former Arnold football player nearly fell in a college trap

A high school football player, Marcus Russ, narrowly avoided falling victim to a scam by an unaccredited junior college, The Mississippi Community Christian College. Russ, who had previously played for Arnold High School, accepted an offer from the school without conducting thorough research. He later discovered the college's lack of accreditation and inadequate facilities, including makeshift locker rooms and a recreational facility as a field. This realization came too late, as he had already lost legitimate offers from other schools.

The college, operated by former University of Miami quarterback Derrick Crudup Jr., had sent Russ an acceptance letter, which influenced his decision to commit. Despite enrolling and beginning online classes, Russ found that the $20,000 degree offered was essentially worthless. By July, with college roster spots filled, Russ had to restart his pursuit of playing college football.

Mississippi Community Christian College and Crudup have previously been accused of mistreating athletes, providing poor living conditions, and canceling games, though Crudup denied these claims in