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Connor Stalions on 'Sign Stealer': Everything former Michigan staffer said in Netflix doc
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- Connor Stalions on 'Sign Stealer': Everything former Michigan staffer said in Netflix doc
Connor Stalions , the former Michigan football staffer at the center of the program's sign stealing scandal, finally is giving his side of the story.
In "Sign Stealer," a new Netflix documentary released early Tuesday , Stalions spoke in depth for the first time after months of national reports and an ongoing NCAA investigation revolving around his role in the matter. The release of the documentary came just hours after Michigan confirmed it received a notice of allegations from the NCAA related to the allegations.
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Stalions discussed a number of topics, including his process for sign stealing. But perhaps most notably, the documentary provided a glimpse into Stalions' interview with the NCAA and his defense against the allegations facing Michigan.
IN DEPTH: Michigan can't escape sign-stealing drama with Connor Stalions featured in Netflix episode
Here's everything important Stalions said in "Sign Stealer," and what you should know in the aftermath of the documentary, which still left plenty of unanswered questions:
What Connor Stalions told NCAA in Netflix's 'Sign Stealer'
The key portion of "Sign Stealer"'" occurs more than an hour into the documentary, when a portion of Stalions' interview with the NCAA — conducted in April over Zoom — is shown.
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Stalions was asked by an NCAA investigator about what coaches or staff at Michigan were aware that he "obtained and/or had access to opponents" signals obtained through in-person, advance scouting." (NCAA rules allow for scouting signs off game film or during games, but do not permit advance, in-person scouting).
"I did not obtain signals through in-person scouting," Stalions responded.
Stalions then denied ever directing anyone to attend a college football game in which Michigan wasn't playing. However, when asked about purchasing tickets to college football games and reselling or giving them to others, he conceded "there are some people who attended games using tickets that I purchased and recorded parts of those games. … Sometimes I would receive film from them."
Stalions explained in the documentary, during an interview recorded separately from the NCAA interview, that he had already memorized the signals in the film.
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"I've had a friend send me film. It's kind of like when your aunt gets you a Christmas present that you already have. You're not going to be rude and be like, 'Oh, I already have this. I don't need it.' It's, 'OK, thanks. Appreciate it.' You know, they feel like they're helping out, or whatever, when I already have the signals. I've already memorized the signals.
"For one, I've never advanced scouted," he said earlier in the documentary, while explaining how he found out he was being investigated. "Two, if this is about signals, I obtain signals the same way other teams do: through watching TV copies and talking to other intel guys on other teams. What set me apart is the way in which I organized that information and processed it on game day."
What Connor Stalions said about Central Michigan-Michigan State game
Stalions' alleged presence on the Central Michigan sideline during its September 2023 game against Michigan State — wearing gear as if he was part of the Central Michigan coaching staff — became a huge revelation to emerge from the scandal.
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At one point during the documentary, Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy claims Stalions — who made appearances on various Barstool platforms after the scandal broke — told him he was at the game. But Stalions, in a separate scene, then holds up the picture of him allegedly wearing Central Michigan gear and remarks, "I don't even think this guy looks like me."
Stalions was also asked directly by the NCAA if he attended the Central Michigan-Michigan State game.
"I don't recall attending a specific game," Stalions said in response.
What Connor Stalions said about Ohio State
Stalions grew up in a family of diehard Michigan fans and makes clear his disdain for all things Ohio State throughout the documentary. Whether Ohio State played a role in the NCAA becoming aware of Michigan's alleged sign stealing scheme is explored in the film as well. But the biggest conspiracy theory is brought to the forefront by Stalions' attorney at the end of Stalions' NCAA interview:
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"We believe that Connor's personal, private data was breached by somebody who did not have permission to do that," Stalions' attorney, Brad Beckworth said. "If that's true, that's certainly a violation of civil law and maybe a bigger crime. If it's true that came from somebody associated with or tied to the Ohio State University — and we think it was — that's where, if I was going to try to do right, where I would be focused. Do you know whether someone took this without Connor's consent?"
What Connor Stalions said about Michigan sign stealing
Stalions gave the backstory of how he became involved in sign stealing, beginning with his time at the Naval Academy working as a student coach for Navy football in 2014. While stationed in California for the Marine Corps, Stalions then worked as a volunteer for Michigan deciphering opponents' signals off television game film and would fly back-and-forth across the country on his own dime.
By 2021, Stalions had become a paid member of the Michigan staff and was tasked by "my coach" with spearheading a sign stealing operation that also was intended to protect Michigan's signals from being stolen. Stalions didn't specify which coach told him to begin the project.
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"Here Michigan is at the bottom of this intelligence operations totem pole, and you don't know that you're at the bottom if you don't have a guy that focuses on that," Stalions said. "Based on my experience, 80 to 90 percent of teams have one of those intel operations staff members, so when I started to learn this culture of college football intelligence operations, well, here I am, a captain in the Marine Corps, figuring out, 'Well, they can't be better than I am at this, right?'"
Stalions said his gameday sheet, created using a database featuring photos of himself performing thousands of potential signals that could be used, is what separated his operation from others.
"Instead of memorizing words, I was memorizing pictures and I would say that is the number one reason why I became as good as I did at deciphering signals," Stalions said. "I've been asked how many times have I been wrong. Well, I'm rarely wrong."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Connor Stalions talks sign-stealing in Michigan football Netflix doc
