MSU recruit indicted for rape LANSING (AP) - Michigan State University officials declined to say yesterday what action they may take now that one of their top football recruits must stand trial for rape. All-State receiver Eric Knott was allowed to play football last season at Detroit Henry Ford High School despite being charged in August with raping a 13-year-old girl. The 6-foot-4, 250-pound senior announced at a news conference Monday that he planned to play at MSU in the fall. He added that he plans to sign with the university next Wednesday. An MSU spokesperson declined to say yesterday what options the university is considering. "By NCAA rules, he's still a recruitable student athlete. We can't discuss anything about him until some kind of letter of intent is signed," Sports Information Director John Lewandowski said. The university could wait to offer Knott a scholarship until after the 18-year-old stands trial. His trial is scheduled to start March 15. It also could withdraw its offer or go ahead and accept his letter of intent. The Detroit News reported yesterday that Knott was arraigned in August on charges of first-degree criminal sexual conduct. He was released on $5,000 bond and allowed to finish his senior football season, the newspaper said. Henry Ford coach Mike Marshall said he had heard "a million different stories" about the rape "way back in the summer" but did not report them to school officials. "It was a lot of 'He said, she said' kind of thing, and I wanted (Knott) to be able to go through his senior year without that kind of distraction," Marshall said. Marshall said he visited the family of the victim. "I told them if they needed help or advice we would help them out," he said. The girl's mother said Tuesday she hoped more people would ask about her daughter's side of the story. "I heard he had a press conference and was on TV," the woman said of Knott. "Somebody needs to look at the other side, see what our whole family has been through over this." Henry Ford athletic director Maurice Menefee said he was shocked to hear that felony charges have been pending against Knott since summer and angry that he is hearing about them now. Originally on page 3A in the 1-27-2000 issue of the Daily.