Richt on NCAA probe: ‘We’ll see what they gather’ (UPDATED)
(11:29 a.m. and 12:04 p.m. updates below)
HOOVER, Ala. – Georgia’s delegation arrived here this morning for SEC Media Days and immediately faced questions about Wednesday’s news that the NCAA will send investigators to campus for an “inquiry.”
In interviews before their formal appearances before the media later this morning, Georgia wide receiver A.J. Green said he has “never” been to Miami, where various players’ attendance at an agent’s party reportedly led to NCAA probes at three other schools, and coach Mark Richt said he doesn’t believe the NCAA inquiry will necessarily bring bad news.
“I don’t know if it is [bad news] or not, quite frankly,” Richt said. “By the way you posed the question, you’re saying it’s never good news [when the NCAA investigates]. Then you’re saying it’s bad news. I don’t necessarily think it is bad news.
“I’m sure they’re gathering information, but we’ll see what they gather.”
Richt said he does not believe the NCAA probe will be a distraction to the team, which starts preseason practice on Aug. 2.
Asked if he is worried at this point about having a player or players declared ineligible, Richt said: “I’m not going to make any comment about anything having to do with the investigation.”
Asked if the NCAA is looking into the activities of one player or more than one player, Richt said: “I don’t know at all. And actually I’m asked not to make any comment about it.”
UGA associate athletic director Claude Felton said the NCAA requested that the school’s officials, coaches and players not comment on the matter until the inquiry is completed.
Green, Georgia’s top pro prospect, has said that he was asked by a Georgia official on Tuesday if he attended the agent’s party in Miami and that he said no.
He reiterated this morning that he has “never” been to Miami.
“I’m not even focused on that,” Green said of the tumult about the NCAA probe. “I’m just focused on getting ready for the season.”
Asked if he is worried about what might come of the investigation, Green said simply: “No.”
Asked if it is a hassle, he said: “Not really. Just random stuff, but it’s not a hassle.”
UPDATE 11:25 A.M.:
Before the full media contingent, Richt’s topic turned to his team and the approaching season, of all things.
He seemed decidedly upbeat.
“Everything I’ve seen so far makes me think we’re going to have what it takes from an emotional standpoint, a physical standpoint,” he said.
Despite a turbulent off-season that has included the arrests of seven players, the arrest and resignation of the athletic director and now an NCAA inquiry, Richt said it has been a good offseason from a football standpoint.
“There is an energy we have this offseason we probably haven’t had in a while,” he said.
Richt said the team has high respect for redshirt freshman quarterback Aaron Murray and is rallying around him. Richt said he believes the offense will be improved this season with a good complement of run and pass. He said he hopes Green stays healthy all season and believes he will improve as a blocker.
And to the inevitable question of how he feels about reports putting him on the occupational “hot seat,” Richt said: “I understand the business. I understand how things go. I don’t worry about it.”
UPDATE 12:04 P.M.:
In the big ballroom before the full media contingent here, A.J. Green honored the request by Georgia officials that he not discuss the NCAA inquiry.
Asked if that frustrates him, if there are things he would like to say but can’t, he said: “It’s not my place to comment on it. I don’t feel like I have to.”
On another matter, Green confirmed that he has taken out an insurance policy to protect his future potential NFL earnings against a career-ending injury.
More to come.
Please follow @ajcuga for quick updates from Media Days.
Earlier story updated: NCAA contacts UGA, says it will launch ‘inquiry’
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
247 comments Add your comment
CourtneyF
July 22nd, 2010
10:53 am
Par-t? Damon and me, I mean…AJ……were never at no party
Cuz
July 22nd, 2010
10:53 am
In Richt we trust, everyone else pays cash.
bo Williams
July 22nd, 2010
10:54 am
I’m a UNC fan. I wish TJ Yates would have been in Miami. That would give me some hope. Meaning – either the agents know something about him I don’t know, or, he won’t be playing this year.
MoDawg
July 22nd, 2010
10:55 am
AJ Green gave his commitment to UGA in high school 1-1/2 years before his signing day and withstood every other school in the nation’s best effort during that time to get him to stray from that commitment, but he stayed true to his word. I’ll take AJ at his word until proven otherwise. If he says he was not there….he was not there.
The NFL needs to step in and hold some of these agents accountable for this kind of thing. These are good, young kids by most standards who get swayed by slimey adults and their money. It’s a shame.
Go Dawgs!!
GW
July 22nd, 2010
10:56 am
The real bad deal here is all of the mulletheads assuming AJ Green is lying. That is what the public has come to expect from athletes, politicians, teachers, media, everybody, etc. Nobody trusts anybody. This AJC blogoid loves this stuff.
Blackberry Cobbler
July 22nd, 2010
10:57 am
AJ obviously got connected with the part by someone. Otherwise, the NCAA wouldn’t have called about it on Tuesday. Someone, apparently, made the allegation that he has there. He says he wasn’t. So someone is lying. We’ll see who.
Bruce Mac
July 22nd, 2010
10:58 am
You idiot Yech fans, UGA is not accused of doing anything wrong here. Can you even read? Please just shut up and leave some doubt as to the incredible level of your stupidity.
Schmeckdawg
July 22nd, 2010
10:58 am
What is it with the last name Furhman? You have the loud motuh drunk woman with Evans and the lying cop from the OJ case. Bad genes/name?
Paul The Vol
July 22nd, 2010
10:58 am
Well, here’s one NCAA investigation that we don’t have to worry about. We don’t have any junior or seniors rated high NFL picks.
By the way, does anyone doubt this was Drew Rosenhaus’ party?
Gratefuldawghead
July 22nd, 2010
10:58 am
I stand behind AJ GREEN! He was Not in Miami!
GO DAWGS and “F” the Haters!
CourtneyF
July 22nd, 2010
10:59 am
Gimmie back my panties
Bill King is a ..................
July 22nd, 2010
11:00 am
TUCK FECH………..get em son!!! God forbid AJ was there and he winds up suspended. But if it comes down to worst case scenerio for him….that could be a good thing for UGA. Then we will be more inclined to stay with the running game. IT WORKS TOO GOOD, PATTON!!!!!!! Plus, Orson Charles is our guy and we have Durham back. We will be fine. And whats that other kids name that was a freshman last year??? He had a lot of hype coming outta highschool but didnt have a good freshman season. HE’ll be better too. GO DAWGS!!!!!!!!
AltamahaDawg
July 22nd, 2010
11:01 am
Well at least this is one thing the UGA fans and the GT fans can agree on. WE got the NCAA sniffing around, they got the Dept of Homeland Security sniffing around. It’s a pain.
Dawg Fan
July 22nd, 2010
11:01 am
You stupid techies, though after last year you would know the polls are a joke after the whupping we put on the humble bumbles. As soon as tech plays a real team they will lose just like you lost the last 2 of 3 last year. The Dawgs own you! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA
DIT
July 22nd, 2010
11:01 am
MoDawg
I totally agree. These agents need to be held accountable for stuff like this. We all know that 18-22 year old athletes have just about no brains when it comes to this type of atmosphere. Heck, I remember being recruited by a couple big time colleges a few decades ago in Baseball. It’s tough to say no to a free trip and party. It’s all so “heady” (no pun intended Damon).
Bottom line these agents should lose their license or right to be an agent if they are involved in an illegal act such as this!
Thanks SEC
July 22nd, 2010
11:02 am
Thanks SEC for covering the butts of Florida and Alabama by making sure the NCAA makes a visit to Athens even though there is no evidence that anyone in Athens did anything wrong. UGA is never going to get back on track until the GA Tech alumni @ the SEC are gone.
Dawg'88
July 22nd, 2010
11:04 am
Hey Riight….SHUT IT MORON!
BG
July 22nd, 2010
11:04 am
AJ was not there plain and simple!!!!!!!!!
BobDog
July 22nd, 2010
11:05 am
Ed,
Correct, it was already scheduled, but they knew about the situation before they went. And they would have left A.J. at home if they knew he had done something wrong rather than presenting him as a face of the UGA program. I’m sure they quizzed him pretty hard and felt comfortable about his answers before they let him get out in front of reporters.
DIT
July 22nd, 2010
11:05 am
What is funny is that all the Nerd Herd said in the past that Pre-season polls mean nothing(to this I agree), but now they are on here saying that they are “pre-seasoned” ranked higher than UGA and beating their chests!! Silly Nerds!
Schmeckdawg
July 22nd, 2010
11:05 am
Nice calls MoDAWG & Gratefuldawghead!
UGA=Yawn
July 22nd, 2010
11:06 am
TUCK FECH – we’re #9 !!! You’re # nothin!!! How’s the view from the rear!!!????
RDR
July 22nd, 2010
11:06 am
The obsession by the nerds continues. Aahahahahaha! Go Dawgs!!
Reality Check
July 22nd, 2010
11:09 am
Wonder if the Bulldog media appraoches this story with the same enthusiasm they approached the Pouncey and Florida probe, not likely!
TUCK FECH
July 22nd, 2010
11:10 am
UGA=Yawn ..The DAWGS have beaten Tech 60-39 Times. You have beaten Richt One time in 9 years.
Quote from Athlon Sports this year “Georgia Tech will always be the second favorite team in thier own city”
How Bout Them DAWGS!
Dawg'88
July 22nd, 2010
11:11 am
UGA=Yawn
We take a back seat to how? Tech? Because of the polls? Give Me A Break!
The polls mean zero! Tech is in our rearview mirror. Its almost boring to beat Yech time after time after time after time…when Yech wins one game (2008) their fans go balistic because they know it will be another 7-8 years before they win another one.
Thats an inferiority complex! They know that the Dawgs are better…no matter the polls, the records, etc. Ga Yech…ACC Chumps! Without AJ Green last year the Dawgs still beat your sorry butts! Hold, hold on a second…………..Caleb King Just Scored Again!!!!!!!
WE RUN THIS STATE!!!!!!!!!!!
GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO DAWGS!!!!
Rex
July 22nd, 2010
11:13 am
No Tech players have ever been to Miami, either. That was evident in the Orange Bowl.
John = Idiot
July 22nd, 2010
11:13 am
John- you are a Jacka**, how does race even come into play here? First of all did it ever occur to YOU to think before you type?
“Once again, whenever a pro or college athlete gets into trouble, they are black 95% of the time. Just amazes me. I guess their brains are just different. Not as smart.”
First question do you have CREDIBLE statistical data to support your 95% claim? There were quite a few white players from Notre Dame that got into trouble this past weekend.
Second- if the majority of football/basketball players are in fact black, wouldn’t it stand to reason that a larger pool of those who get into trouble would then in fact be black? The majority of people who run large corporations are older white men, so should it come as any surprise that “95%” of those who commit corporate fraud are older white men?
Perhaps you should take a look at your own IQ and leave the intelligent conversation to those of us who’s IQ’s are comprised of more than two digits.
Race has absolutely nothing to do with stupidity or intelligence for that matter. Wake up and step into the 21st century or go find a Klan site to troll.
Bill King is a ..................
July 22nd, 2010
11:13 am
at UGA=Yawn……..Ya’ll have beat us once in the last decade. Give it a fn rest. We own you, your mama/daddy, grandparents, your mortgage, your wife(if you have one). What about this do you not get??? A Tech fan lecturing a DAWG fan about football is kinda like a nun lecturing Heidi Fleiss on how to give a bj. She doesnt need it and neither do we. You sir(UGA=Yawn) are cordially invited to go do urself.
DIT
July 22nd, 2010
11:14 am
Dawg88 – I think is that was Ealy scoring again!
seriously
July 22nd, 2010
11:15 am
WE ALL KNOW KNOWSHON AND STAFFORD DID A WHOLE ALOT AND GOT A WHOLE LOT
BG
July 22nd, 2010
11:16 am
When is the NCAA heading to Tech, UT, and LSU to snoop around? Oh I almost forgot about ole Auburn.
Dawg'88
July 22nd, 2010
11:17 am
Hey UGA=Yawn…
Has the view from behind us 8 out of 9 years? If your #9, its just shows that UGA should be ranked higher or that the pollsters are smokin’ something. Even if you finish #9 or higher.,..you will still lose the 9th out 10 games vs UGA!
Jealousy is ooozing from you! I love it! The madder and more vile you get it means we’re getting to you. Thanks for the entertainment. You have no facts to support Yech being better besides a pre-season poll. Its not a poll to determine who is better…its on the field!!! Guess who leads the way there? UGA UGA UGA UGA!!!!
Ealey just ripped off another 20 yard gain followed by another King TD on the flats!!!
How is “buttterfingers” Thomas…ran to the NFL with his tail between his legs. Can’t live down that
ooops…drop!
Keep up the anger…heh,heh,heh!!!
WE RUN THIS STATE!!!!!!!!!
Schmeckdawg
July 22nd, 2010
11:18 am
Rex, that is HILARIOUS!!!!!!!!!!!! Hell, even in these posts’ we kick yechs asses!
shannon1776
July 22nd, 2010
11:18 am
1. The reason I feel he is telling the truth is first, it will be too easy to find the truth, and two, Richt wouldn’t have brought him.
2. In this case, I am on bama and SC’s and NC’s side. The agents are child predators. Punish THEM for causing this trouble-don’t blame the kid who most times has never had a DIME too his name., What is the kid supposed to do when he has the chance to pocket some money and be shown star treatment?????????
Go dawgs.
Dawg'88
July 22nd, 2010
11:18 am
DIT…Ealey didn’t score a TD vs Yech,…just ran wild 20 yards+ per attempt!
shannon1776
July 22nd, 2010
11:19 am
@Riiiiiight:
Go stick a first down marker up your ass. Then, get out of your mom’s basement and get a life.
Paddy
July 22nd, 2010
11:21 am
AJ said he has never been to Miami. Good enough for this Dawg fan!
Dawg'88
July 22nd, 2010
11:22 am
Tech players: “When does the Orange Bowl start?”
Answer: “Its over….you guys didn’t show up!”
Aiken Chicken
July 22nd, 2010
11:25 am
I’m not feeling a lot of love on here…and football is still 6 weeks away.
Dawg'88
July 22nd, 2010
11:25 am
Tech fan: We’re #9 We’re #9 We’re #9 We’re #9 We’re #9 We’re #9!
UGA fan: 30-24!! WE RUN THIS STATE!!! 30-24!! WE RUN THIS STATE!!!
Schmeckdawg
July 22nd, 2010
11:25 am
Hey all of you dirt daubers, I think I just heard your PA announcer say first down GEORGIA…AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!
DawginLex
July 22nd, 2010
11:26 am
All the Dawg hatin’ nerds on the blogs forget one small FACT.
WE BEAT TECH LAST YEAR WITHOUT AJ.
Don’t need to throw when you can run the ball down the nerd’s throats.
Who Cares?
July 22nd, 2010
11:26 am
At least it wasn’t Damon’s panties in her lap!
The NCAA is taking a look. If UGA has a clean program, and I believe they do, so what? They may find a player or two that did something wrong but the institution can only do so much. It eventually comes down to individual integrity. AJ has demonstrated it. I believe him. CMR has as well. I believe him.
I am not a lawyer but isn’t it illegal to offer someone money to break a contract? Couldn’t the NCAA and the schools sue the agents who do this? I think USC should sue Bush, May and the agents involved and let a court decide how much they owe. That would stop all of this.
How2fish
July 22nd, 2010
11:29 am
John there is a lot of really dumb stuff posted on these blogs NONE dumber that what you posted..please get help..today!
DIT
July 22nd, 2010
11:30 am
Dawg88 – I can’t keep up with all the scoring from King & Ealy. Wait, UGA just scored! DGD!
jimmytech
July 22nd, 2010
11:30 am
I believe AJ has never been to Miami, but he sure as hell has been to Shreveport…and probably will be again soon!
DIT
July 22nd, 2010
11:33 am
AWWWHHH little jimmytech
UGAownsTech
July 22nd, 2010
11:34 am
GT TECH FANS ARE FUNNY…15-4 VERSUS YOU GUYS THE LAST 18 YEARS AND THE THREE YOU WON IN THE 90′S YOU USED INELIGIBLE PLAYERS…YOU GUYS HAD ONE LEGITIMATE WIN…ONE. AND THEN THE NEXT YEAR WE COME INTO YOUR HOUSE AGAINST THE NUMBER ONE RUSHING TEAM IN THE COUNTRY AND RUN ALL OVER YOU GUYS FOR 339 YARDS ON THE GROUND. INSTEAD OF ASKING ABOUT AJ GREEN AND DAMON EVANS, WHY DONT YOU ASK YOUR COACH WHY HE CAN’T WIN A BOWL GAME? WHAT’S THE WORD???? I GOT SOME WORDS FOR YOU…HOW BOUT THE DAWGS?
SSIgator
July 22nd, 2010
11:38 am
Despite a turbulent off-season that has included the arrests of seven players, the arrest and resignation of the athletic director and now an NCAA inquiry, Richt said it has been a good offseason from a football standpoint.
“There is an energy we have this offseason we probably haven’t had in a while,” he said.
That must mean that the two for one bars have extended happy hour to happy days.