NORMAN, Okla. (AP) -Mike Balogun hopes his year away from Sooners football won't mean he's forgotten come time for the NFL draft.
Balogun was forced to sit out all last season after starting at middle linebacker for Oklahoma in the BCS championship game, but he didn't give up on the game. He continued training and participated in Oklahoma's pro timing day Tuesday in front of representatives from all but one NFL team.
While most of the attention was focused on first-round prospects Gerald McCoy, Trent Williams and Jermaine Gresham, Balogun hopes he left an impression that leads to a second chance.
``You give me a shot, I'll prove it to you. I'll prove I deserve a roster spot,'' Balogun said. ``That's all I need.''
The 26-year-old was stripped of his final year of eligibility by the NCAA, which ruled he had played for a semipro team after his 21st birthday. Balogun contends that's not the case, and still has a lawsuit pending against the NCAA.
He's seeking monetary damages and also hopes to change the way the NCAA handles cases.
``The NCAA, I know it's its own governing body and nobody can touch their rules. I think it needs to be changed, to be honest,'' Balogun said. ``I wouldn't say that they ruined my career but they definitely put a dent in it and I don't think they should have that much control over somebody's football career and life in general.
``I think something needs to be changed. There needs to be a higher authority than that.''
A message seeking comment was left for an NCAA spokesman Tuesday night.
Balogun started out as a third-stringer for the Sooners after transferring from Lackawanna (Pa.) Community College in 2008. He moved up on the depth chart after starter Ryan Reynolds suffered a season-ending knee injury and then became the starter after backup Austin Box was hurt, first at midseason and then in the regular-season finale.
Balogun then moved into the starting lineup for the Big 12 championship and the BCS championship game, a 24-14 loss to Florida. The same day the Sooners returned from Miami, Balogun got a call from Oklahoma's compliance department informing him his eligibility was in question again.
Balogun said he was informed officials at Florida State contacted the NCAA after seeing him play in the title game and that reopened an investigation into his time playing in the North American Football League.
``It's nowhere close to professional. It was pickup football with equipment,'' Balogun said, describing the league. ``It's semi-organized every Saturday. I've been out there times where it was four against four. If you want to count my years of eligibility out for playing four-on-four football, then something needs to be changed.''
Balogun said he believes people associated with the league may have exaggerated his reputation and told investigators he played longer than he actually did - including in an All-Star game in Minnesota.
``They had me playing great. I was the player of the century,'' Balogun said with a smile. ``I mean, I'm that type of player but - come on, man - don't give me all of that when I don't need it. I didn't earn it.''
Balogun said he got sworn affidavits from the same people interviewed by the NCAA supporting his stance that he hadn't played after age 21. Players are required to forfeit one year of college eligibility for each season they compete in semipro ball after age 21.
``The NCAA, my opinion is they did a lot of back-dooring, talking to a lot of people thinking that they had my best interests,'' Balogun said. ``They back-doored people and people just started talking me up, not knowing what was going on.''
Balogun said what followed was a roller coaster of emotion: first confidence that he'd be cleared again, then disappointment, anger and asking himself, ``Why me?'' While Balogun stayed involved with the Sooners on scout team duty, he believes the NCAA's decision could have had a different result if not for the team's support.
``You're affecting somebody's life and career like that. That's important and they've got to realize that,'' he said.
For now, though, Balogun plans to keep his lawsuit on the back burner until after the draft next month. He measured at 6 feet tall and 240 pounds, ran 40 yards in 4.72 seconds and lifted a 225-pound weight 18 times during Tuesday's workout at Oklahoma's indoor practice facility.
``I've been hearing all positive things. I've been hearing I'm a draftable guy, a lot of teams like me,'' Balogun said. ``They said I did pretty well today.''
``It's all going to work out for the best,'' he added. ``I'm confident.''
