Junior first-team all-ACC defensive end Shawn Johnson said he never committed to transfer to Fordham University, as a March press release indicated. Controversy surrounded the alleged decision when Patriot League officials informed Johnson that the league did not accept fifth-year players unless one of their four seasons was a medical red shirt - which Johnson's was not.
Johnson has now removed Fordham from the list of possible schools he will attend next year, and is deciding whether to transfer to Delaware or Northeastern University. Both schools are members of the Atlantic 10 conference, which accepts graduate students.
The Fairport, N.Y., native's decision was limited to Division I-AA schools because those colleges and universities do not require players to sit out a season after transferring. Moving to another Division I-A school would have required six years of eligibility for Johnson, a distinction the NCAA only allows in extreme medical hardship cases.
Fordham was considered the favorite to land Johnson's services next season because Johnson's brother, Travis, plays tight end for the Rams.
Johnson's decision to transfer was based on both athletic and academic reasons.
Frustrated with Duke's 2-32 record over the last three seasons, he said the consistent losing has greatly bothered him.
"Obviously [Duke football] has been unsuccessful in terms of winning," he said. "It's been really hard on me. I've put my heart into it, and we haven't had anything to show for it in terms of team success."
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