Former Auburn defensive back Eric Ramsey
</p><p style="font-style: italic;">“Don’t you know, Eric, there are all kinds of people
who will look you in the face, say that they love you and tell you what
a great guy you are,” the booster said. Ramsey said he was stunned when
the booster told him white fans who cheered him so vociferously were
referring to him with racial epithets behind his back. “Eric, that’s the
real world.” </p><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><p style="font-style: italic;">
The tapes also revealed that Dye loaned money to
Ramsey and called a loan officer at a local bank to help him get an
unsecured personal loan. Ramsey said boosters gave him $1,200 to help
buy a car and a $300 monthly stipend, and offered performance incentives
ranging from $100 for big hits to $500 for touchdowns. He said at the
time that he knew of at least 15 players who took cash from coaches and
boosters. Terry Bowden, who replaced Dye in 1993, said in a 2001
interview that boosters were paying players cash — $12,000 to $15,000 to
sign — when he arrived. </p>