The lawyer working to restore Chase Young's eligibility is quite familiar with the NCAA's processes and inner-workings, and he's no stranger to Ohio State, either.
Attorney Tim Nevius worked as an NCAA investigator for five years and was one of the two investigators that interviewed Jim Tressel during the NCAA's 2011 investigation into Ohio State after Terrelle Pryor and four other Buckeyes received improper benefits.
But after five years of working with the NCAA, Nevius switched sides in 2012 and led a federal antitrust lawsuit challenging NCAA rules that prohibit compensation for Division I athletes.
Now, Nevius is continuing to fight on behalf of athletes in a different and much more specific way as he is working on behalf of Young to restore his eligibility after the star defensive end was suspended indefinitely due to a potential NCAA violation.
Chase took a small loan from a close family friend last year to cover basic life expenses. Loan was repaid months ago and were working to restore his eligibility. Unfair and outdated @NCAA rules punish athletes for making ends meet while enriching everyone else. https://t.co/2Jsqj7f7TR
— Tim (@TimNevius) November 8, 2019
Given his experience on both sides, Nevius believes he has a unique perspective and skillset to offer his clients – in this case, Young.
"I think that it gave me a more global perspective on the issues that are involved," Nevius told Doug Lesmerises of Cleveland.com back in 2014 of switching from working with the NCAA to challenging it. "Having been entrenched in them on the other side for five years and now studying them with an eye toward the other side of the fence now gives me an even better perspective."
And even though Nevius spent five years investigating and enforcing the NCAA rules and regulations, that doesn't mean he always agreed with them.
"That's not to say the enforcement staff where I worked for five years doesn't serve a purpose," Nevius told Lesmerises. "None of those individuals are tasked with creating the rules we are now challenging. What's interesting about being at the NCAA, you are charged with enforcing the rules as they exist, not the rules that you want to enforce."
There are still plenty of unknowns regarding Young's situation, but we do know that Nevius will be working on his behalf through the process, and we know he's perhaps the most qualified individual available to do so.
