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 McNown held permit All-American QB one of Bruins who claimed handicap
Posted: Saturday July 17, 1999 04:08 PM
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Cade McNown, a former All-American quarterback at UCLA, briefly had a handicapped parking permit in 1997, apparently while he was fit enough to practice with the team, according to a newspaper report. Department of Motor Vehicle records show McNown had applied for and received the permit from February through mid-June 1997, shortly after his sophomore season, the Los Angeles Times reported Saturday. Last week, 14 current and former Bruin players were charged with misdemeanor counts of illegally possessing the handicapped parking placards by submitting false applications to the DMV. The DMV records do not indicate why the placard for McNown was granted. The quarterback, due in training camp with the Chicago Bears later this month, was not immediately available for comment. A phone call to the Chicago Bears' office went unanswered Friday night. He was drafted with the team's first pick in April. There were no reports of McNown suffering a significant injury or illness in the spring of 1997. He practiced with the team in April, playing well enough to complete 18 of 21 passes in one scrimmage. Coach Bob Toledo said in a published report: "Cade is really stepping up his game." Records showed McNown didn't apply to renew the placard. UCLA officials, who investigated the cases against the 14 other players, did not research handicapped fraud as far back as 1997 and thus didn't discover McNown's use of a handicapped permit. It was not immediately known if McNown would face any charges in the case. "The pattern of evidence led the UCLA police department to focus its investigation on recent and alleged abuses," a statement said. Administrators declined to comment further. The 14 other players charged in last week's investigation allegedly submitted DMV applications with the signatures, addresses and medical license numbers of nonexistent physicians. California law allows people with temporary or permanent disabilities to obtain permits to park in special handicap spaces, to use metered spaces for free and to park in limited-time zones indefinitely. The football players allegedly used the placards to avoid the $132-per-semester fee for parking on campus and to park in the area around UCLA, where parking problems are chronic. It was more than an embarrassment to UCLA, which starts its football season on Sept. 4, because several of the defendants are starters or key reserves. The players are scheduled for arraignment July 28 on misdemeanor charges that carry a maximum penalty of six months in jail and a $1,000 fine. If found guilty, they will face additional punishment from the university.
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