When the story first surfaced the other day about Daniel Hood signing a scholarship with the University of Tennessee, I reacted the same as most of you -- with rage and revulsion.

How could a school be this desperate to allow someone with Hood's background within 500 miles of the UT campus? It's been well documented that when Hood was 13 he participated with a 17-year-old friend, in the rape of Hood's 14-year-old cousin. Like many of you, I was nauseated reading the gruesome details of the case.

But the more I reflected, my outrage simmered and I began to wonder whether the school was perhaps doing the right thing.

Instead of casting away Hood, now 19, they are giving him a second chance. What I really like about Tennessee's handling of this case is the transparency -- so refreshing in today's cloak and dagger and deceptive world of intercollegiate athletics.

Unlike so many other schools who keep everything under wraps to gain some sort of competitive advantage, UT has made the young man available for interviews -- which he has passed with poise. The school has not run away from the controversy and perhaps, some good can come out of this family tragedy.

For starters, Hood has not been in any trouble since the incident and even the harshest cynics would have to agree the overwhelming fault in this case was on the friend, who is now serving a 10-year prison sentence. Had Hood been older, the case would be dramatically different. And while we can debate ad nauseam the maturity of a 13-year old, I think Hood was clearly not able to handle the situation. Would you have been at 13?

It doesn't really need to be said that there will be zero tolerance at UT for Hood, whose future behavior will be closely scrutinized. But unlike many of his new teammates, the young man has excelled in school (3.8 GPA) and has been a model citizen at Catholic High School in Knoxville. The high school's administration has staked its reputation on its high recommendation of Hood.

Was he the star player on a high school team that won the state? Sure. But Hood has talked of his newfound faith and unlike many who use this as a crutch or a means of convenience, he appears sincere and genuinely remorseful.

Someone said to me the other day he would have less of a problem with Hood being accepted at Tennessee if he had committed murder. Clearly, rape is a heinous crime. However, in a murder case, the victim would not have been around to write a letter on his behalf -- which was the case here. Obviously, the victim's letter carried significant weight.

"I know ... Daniel on a personal level and believe that he has been very remorseful towards me," said the letter, which was published in the Knoxville News Sentinel. "He is a very caring individual. We are now working on rebuilding our relationship. Hoping to become a family like before. He is becoming a very mature adult and will be a great asset to any college and to society as a whole."

Of all of the impromptu and bizarre things that Lane Kiffin has said and done in his short tenure at Tennessee, at least this one seems well thought out. Is he doing this because he really cares about Hood or because lineman is a position of need? Who knows, but at least Kiffin and UT are willing to take a chance and give a second chance.

It's also worth pointing out that scores of schools wanted Hood. Well, that was until Hood's past caught up to him. Even former coach Phil Fulmer bailed on him until Kiffin showed up.

And if we're honest with ourselves, does the fact that UT and Kiffin are involved affect how we feel?

If Hood had signed with Alabama and Nick Saban stood up for him, how would you feel then? Some wouldn't be swayed. But I think many of us would be influenced by that fact and would be applauding instead of bashing Tennessee.

I don't know what the odds are of this story having a happy ending or whether the reward for Hood and UT outweigh the risk being taken. It chaps me when coaches coddle players when they get into trouble. That only enables the star athlete to believe he is bulletproof. When you factor in reports that one in three NFL players has had some brush with the law, you know the lack of discipline in college (and before) rarely results in a positive ending.

But this case isn't about the arrogance of a Michael Vick or a Pacman Jones. This is about a young man who participated in a gruesome crime and paid a price by being in state juvenile custody for several of his teenage years. Perhaps, not the price you would have doled out, but a price nevertheless.

The story here isn't that the University of Tennessee has given him a second chance. The real story is what he does with the precious gift and opportunity. Ultimately, that will determine whether this was the right call.

(Contact Paul Finebaum at finebaumnet@yahoo.com His column appears on Tuesdays in the Press-Register.)

