Green receives four-game ban; UGA plans appeal
(Updated 8:40 p.m.)
ATHENS – The NCAA came down hard Wednesday on A.J. Green, ordering Georgia’s star wide receiver to sit out four games as punishment for selling a game jersey to a sports agent.
Green sold the jersey he wore in last season’s Independence Bowl for $1,000, according to the facts of the case stipulated by Georgia.
The school plans to appeal the NCAA ruling in hopes of having the length of the suspension reduced. The appeal could be heard next week, coach Mark Richt said.
Green was held out of last week’s season opener against Louisiana-Lafayette, pending the results of the NCAA investigation, which began in July. He must sit out the Bulldogs’ next three games -– Saturday at South Carolina, Sept. 18 at home vs. Arkansas and Sept. 25 at Mississippi State –- unless the appeal is successful. He will be eligible to return for the Oct. 2 game at Colorado.
“Certainly I’m disappointed with the outcome,” Richt said. “However, we have games to play, and that’s where our focus needs to be in the coming days and weeks. Other players will have to step forward, and I’m confident they will do that.”
Richt informed his players of the NCAA ruling shortly before Wednesday’s practice.
“He assured us we have the talent on this team to play with or without [Green],” tight end Aron White said. “We’re still Georgia. One player doesn’t make Georgia. That’s something [Richt] made very clear to us, that he still has complete confidence in us.”
The NCAA did not name the individual who bought the jersey from Green but said the person meets the organization’s definition of an agent -– “any individual who markets or promotes a student-athlete.” That put Green in violation of the NCAA rule against receiving benefits from agents.
Selling a jersey to a non-agent also would violate NCAA rules, which prohibit student-athletes from receiving money for memorabilia.
Green has donated $1,000, the amount he received for the jersey, to charity, the NCAA said.
The four-game ban is at the top end of the range the NCAA typically imposes for this type of violation.
The NCAA said it reviews each case “on its own merits based on the specific facts. Staff decisions are made based on a number of factors including . . . the student-athlete’s responsibility for the violation, as well as any mitigating factors presented by the university.”
In another recent case, the NCAA last week suspended Alabama defensive end Marcell Dareus for two games for accepting almost $1,800 in benefits from an agent. In that case, the NCAA said Dareus received a two-game ban, rather than four games, “based on mitigating circumstances.”
Green will be allowed to practice with the Georgia team during his banishment from games and, in fact, did so Wednesday.
”I want to apologize to my coaches, teammates and the Georgia fans for the mistake in judgment,” Green said in a statement. “I very much regret all that has taken place and the distraction that’s been caused. I’ve learned a valuable lesson and hope others can learn from my mistake. I can only focus my attention now on practicing and looking ahead to getting back with my teammates as quickly as possible.”
Green did not meet with reporters. Richt summed up Green’s reaction: “He’s hurt. He’s sad. He’s sorry for what happened.”
Wide receiver Tavarres King said the Green news was “pretty shocking” to him and vowed to help pick up the slack in the star player’s absence.
“I got to step up and make plays to fill the void for A.J.” King said. “Big shoes to fill. Huge shoes to fill.”
Green, a junior from Summerville, S.C., was named to preseason All-SEC and some preseason All-America teams. He is projected as a high first-round pick if he enters next year’s NFL draft, as most observers expect him to do.
Green caught 53 passes for 808 yards and six touchdowns last season, when he missed three-plus games with injuries. He caught 56 passes for 963 yards and eight touchdowns as a freshman in 2008.
Georgia’s appeal will be heard by the NCAA Division I Committee on Student-Athlete Reinstatement, which is comprised of representatives from NCAA member schools. Green cannot play in games during the appeal process.
As is standard procedural form in such cases, Georgia declared Green ineligible and the NCAA set his penalty and the terms of his reinstatement.
The NCAA informed Georgia on July 21 of the Green investigation — one in a series of probes at a number of schools into dealings between athletes and agents. Green said on July 22 that he was asked by Georgia officials if he attended an agent-hosted party in Miami that triggered investigations at several schools. He said he did not.
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1,225 comments Add your comment
bad apple dawg
September 8th, 2010
9:22 pm
•”He’s hurt, he’s sad, he’s sorry for what happened,” Richt said of A.J. Green AWE how pitiful for this selfish rogue. Maybe he can just hip hop rap a tap on the sidelines for 3 games. Just go ahead and tell this thug adios !
BIG TECH FAN
September 8th, 2010
9:22 pm
Roger G.,
I see your point. Sorry for the call out!!!!
diego
September 8th, 2010
9:22 pm
Yall are dumb. HE gave the money to CHARITY. HE didnt spend it like the other guy. It was less money. NCAA is dumb.
BIG TECH FAN
September 8th, 2010
9:23 pm
7-5 last year!!!! lol!!!
Dawg_Central
September 8th, 2010
9:24 pm
And UGA has more wins versus Ga Tech….and versus the Gators…………so keep running the triple option Tech fans….hahahaha….thats grasping for straws or trying to be like Navy…..haha!!
FLA DAWG
September 8th, 2010
9:24 pm
bad apple,
AJ a thug!? You obviously have no knowledge of this young man and probably UGA or college football in general.
dog shame
September 8th, 2010
9:24 pm
wow, OUCH that hurts, too bad ugayers do not run the triple option you would not have to worry about it
FLA DAWG
September 8th, 2010
9:26 pm
dog shame,
Obviously you are a GT Loser who cannot revel in his own team because they are annual LOSERS.
Go play with Dora
September 8th, 2010
9:27 pm
Diego,
You are dumb…. when he started getting heat for what he had done by letting some close friends know…. THAT is when he donated money to Charity. If you wanted to do it for Charity you would have the donation go straight to charity.
Like the Weisenhour excuse……I robbed a bank, but gave the money to a church…. nice excuse, but you still broke a rule and pay the full punishment….
Govols
September 8th, 2010
9:27 pm
Oregon beat the Lobos 72-0.We beat the Skyhawks 50-0.Who and the hell are the Lobos and the skyhawks?
TUCK FECH
September 8th, 2010
9:27 pm
Tech can’t fill thier high School stadium but can fill the GEORGIA Blog!
Techies OBSESSED with GEORGIA!
76-DAWG
September 8th, 2010
9:29 pm
UGA needs to stop treating the football team like young adults by giving them the benefit of the doubt that they are old enough to be considered young men. The way this football team acts is like immature adolescent kids that need constant parental guidance. CMR needs to stop coddling these kids and treat them like they deserve. Even the seniors don’t show any leadership. Back in the 70’s the senior would have already taken care of all this dumb sh**.
TUCK FECH
September 8th, 2010
9:29 pm
When IOWA exposes the triple option…It is Over!
hunker down
September 8th, 2010
9:30 pm
Mitigating circumstances? That definition leaves alot to the imagination.
UGA
September 8th, 2010
9:30 pm
Green did a stupid thing I know. HE put the money on charity. The NCaa is f****** up right now.
crabapplejoe
September 8th, 2010
9:31 pm
Kris Durham will have over 100 yards receiving, the Dawgs will beat SC and everyone will forget about Mr. Overrated who let the team down with his stupid actions….
Dawg_Central
September 8th, 2010
9:31 pm
The debate is over Tech fans……..AJ practiced today….he ain’t going nowhere………and keep in mind…AJ wasn’t on the field against Tech last year……and UGA embarassed ya’ll again……going for 9 out of 10………..sweet dreams Tech fans….and oh yea…….AJ will be between the hedges in November when Tech returns for their annual beat down…..hahahahaha!!!!! Go Dawg!
Wreckmaniac
September 8th, 2010
9:32 pm
Another day in the Athens soap opera. This is the topic until tomorrow when another screwup occurs. There will be at least three more before the SC game. By Saturday, AJ will be forgotten. Another nitwit who plays for Richt will top it. Guaranteed.
Gavin Taylor
September 8th, 2010
9:34 pm
Roger G.–I guess your posts are too logical for these people to comment on. I agree with you…if you don’t like roses because of the thorns, DON’T pick them. If the colleges didn’t have the ‘thugs’, ‘poor black boys’, ‘negroes’, and the other racist comments and names that these people are referring black males to, college football would be like college rowing. So if these guys are such problems, don’t recruit them…and see how much money these institutions would make! I guess they would be more successful then. You don’t see these schools raving and ranting on their college graduates…’football’ is the #1 money-maker for them, so rid yourselves of these guys and ‘clean’ up you images.
Wreckmaniac
September 8th, 2010
9:35 pm
Dawg stories are more fun than Saturday night live. If I ever need a lift I just go to the good ole UGA
blogosphere. Such a crackup. Laurel and Hardy can’t match it. Real bulldogs deserve better.
Diego
September 8th, 2010
9:35 pm
Go Play with Dora@ Mb. I didnt know the whole situation I thought he gave money straight to charity. Im only 17 so I don’t know the full cituation. I agree with you. He acted like most African- AMerican men today. THey want the money and he did not want to get in trouble so he shipped the money to his friends. THT+AT WAS DUMB GREEN.
Govols
September 8th, 2010
9:35 pm
Later Dawg fans good luck with the thunder chickens the vols will have there hands full with the nike ducks.
The Exterminator
September 8th, 2010
9:36 pm
My only response is….poop.
TO ALL BUGS WHO CAME ON HERE TO POST THINGS LIKE “HA HA HA ” AND SIMILAR ASTUTE ANALYSIS:
8 out of 9. F–k off, maggots. Get back in bed with your mommy.
Booby Dudd
September 8th, 2010
9:38 pm
Wreck Maniac, I visited your sorry blod a minute ago you guys have like 10 posts FROM YESTERDAY! Can you say meaningless football program? You geeks hang out on our blog all day long because yours sucks. Kind of like your sorry team.
Gavin Taylor
September 8th, 2010
9:43 pm
Reading these rants show how ignorant, hypocritical, noisy and unforgiving people are. We want people for forgive and forget but we don’t do the same.
I don’t think the white collar Enron executives got this much grief. They moved and stole money AND didn’t even need it…GREED! They made hundreds of thousands of dollars a year and stole anyway…AJ sold a jersey come on people, let it go!
JB
September 8th, 2010
9:49 pm
They gave him 4 games because an appeal would be eminent no matter their decision. It shopuld get cut to 2.
Booby Dudd
September 8th, 2010
9:49 pm
It is going to interesting when we win without Green how these comments will disappear. We have a great team we do not just rely on one man. This situation will be an after thought by the end of the season when this team proves to be a winner. All the techies will go back into hiding, pulling off there license plates and bumper stickers like they allways do. Total obcession jackets, you guys need to worry about your own little team.
oh yeah, Nesbitt for Heisman? what do they give these trophies away like hotdogs and cokes these days?
Boca Baby
September 8th, 2010
9:50 pm
Please tell me what “mitigating” circumstances in the Alabama case compelled the committee to only impose a 2 game suspension instead of what Green got? What the Alabama player did was far worse in my opinion. Was it that he is a total idiot and easily duped or that he plays for Saban? This is a total injustice by comparison.
Michael C
September 8th, 2010
9:51 pm
Wreckit and Buzzkill, you’re embarassing to Tech fans everywhere. Why don’t you show some class?
TUCK FECH
September 8th, 2010
9:53 pm
Didn’t need AJ to Beat the ACC Champ 30-24!
GO DAWGS!
The HANG 'EM JUDGE
September 8th, 2010
9:54 pm
Folks, he gave the $1,000 to charity……………..
AFTER HE WAS CAUGHT RED (& BLACK) HANDED!!!!!!!
the epitome of people who post on this blog
September 8th, 2010
9:55 pm
I am so freaking tired of people on their high horse acting like they haven’t made a dag gum mistake. How many of you have ncaa football 11 in your house? Who bought his nike jersey to go with some shoes. I don’t know AJ Green personally but he has been a good athlete and student since he has been at UGA. There needs to be some type of sanction for the racist comments that are posted here. This ain’t Hitler and it isn’t the 1940’s. If AJ makes another monetary error, drill his butt in the ground. But if not leave him and his family the hell alone. Its stupid and I am personally tired of some ya’ll acting like you just finished at billy grahan seminary. Oh I am sorry, let me repeat myself” gents let’s car ourselves in a professional manner. Let’s correct our actions and become one united in good debate”. Bullcrap. Stop all this hatin and if that is what you do, take your comments to the freakin KKKK. Have you every been to Summerville? There is nothing there. It’s not like he took a gram of coke or mary jane and sold it. He took his jersey, his blood, sweat and tears off his body and sold it. Mass media calls it advertising. I am not saying it was right, but as long as EA sports, The NCAA and lastly UGA benefited, then it is what it is. I am UGA for life good, bad or indifferent. Good luck AJ!
former UGA walk-on
September 8th, 2010
9:56 pm
I see so many crazy comments on this blog. I was a former walk-on at UGA. Yes, it is true that scholarship players have their tuition and room and board paid for while they are in college. With that being said, find me one kid in college that does not want to go out to dinner with their friends, go to a movie, go on a date, etc… Some of these kids have families that simply cannot afford some of these luxuries.
The NCAA has some really stupid rules. They claim that the rules are designed to protect the amateur status of the athlete and the integrity of the sport.
I can assure you that there is one NCAA rule that most athletes of major sports and all school violate each year. The rule that they break is that they all sell their allotted tickets each week. It is one way to get some spending money.
I know that there needs to be rules but there has to be some changes made to the current situation.
ebay--k
September 8th, 2010
9:56 pm
I just bought a visor from steve spurrier maybe the ncaa will suspend him for the game saturday. Aj knew better but people make mistakes,I for one forgive him, but he needs to have learned a lesson from this,I think his penalty will be reduced to two games,these kids,Now the ncaa has to be fair about this,the penalty shouldnt be worse for georgia than alabama,so they need to reduce AJ’s to two games
virginia dog
September 8th, 2010
9:57 pm
wow … none of you guys get it. the NFL has the money and control. if the NFL stripped the agents that target the underclassmen this would stop. follow the money… if you follow the money it leads to the NFL. the NCAA just manages the farm clubs.
real dawg fan.......
September 8th, 2010
9:57 pm
GOOOOOO DAWGS !!
The HANG 'EM JUDGE
September 8th, 2010
10:00 pm
This just in………Richt calls for an ORANGE OUT at the Arkansas game!
So get them Athens-Clarke County Hoosegow ORANGE JUMPSUITS out and cheer on your favorite criminals!!
billuga
September 8th, 2010
10:03 pm
Dawg gone fishing is a prime example of an idiot. Everyone has made a mistake in his or her lifetime, so did A.J. Kick him off the team, I don’t think so !!!!! Anyone who thinks so needs to get a life.
ScDawg
September 8th, 2010
10:03 pm
Did we not beat GT without Green with Cox Then we should be fine with out him and Murray being QB and Durham back. TK dont drop the ball on simple catches.
Alan
September 8th, 2010
10:07 pm
I bought an authentic game worn jersey from the athletic department for $120. It;s OK for the school to make the money while the kid gets nothing. Someone tell me how that is fair? And suspended four games.for doing something every university does everyday. .geez!
Deez Nutz
September 8th, 2010
10:10 pm
This is an outrage, no victim no crime. Let the kid make a few bucks for crying out loud, why should these kids be dirt poor while the universities and NCAA make bank off of them. I agree that they are getting compensated by getting an education for free, but everyone needs a little money to live on too. To hell with the NCAA they are just mad because they didn’t get a cut.
dandydawg
September 8th, 2010
10:11 pm
Dawg fans, we need to just eat this one. Let him serve the four games suspension. He made the mistake, not Georgia. I guess you really can’t call it a mistake. He knew what he was doing… so, why should UGA appeal. This will teach the players a lesson.
The mess at UGA is getting very old now. It’s time to clean up the program and move forward.
GTfanfrom1951
September 8th, 2010
10:14 pm
This not the right thing to do for such an infraction. Someone needs to use some common sense. What is the NCAA thinking?
Just a thought
September 8th, 2010
10:14 pm
So what if he “gave” the jersey to his family that needed the money and they sold it?
Browndog
September 8th, 2010
10:14 pm
Appeal, but must move on without him. Team will come together and play a great game in Columbia. Being happy a play is out of a game is just bad karma. Someone else will step up and have great game. UGA has to run the ball and if they can do that then the passing game will be fine.
Delbert D.
September 8th, 2010
10:16 pm
Buy a Ford F-150. Support Mark Richt. That is legal, per the NCAA rules on commercialism.
Red Panties Rick
September 8th, 2010
10:19 pm
Here’s a chance to turn a negative into a positive. Have Damon and AJ at the next home game together. Granted, they can’t autograph jerseys but is there any NCAA rule against autographing red panties? Use proceeds from their sales to give to the Courtney Fuhrmann “Find A Cold Cure” foundation, which was formed after the horrible flu she contracted recently from being out at night with no drawers on.
private plane watching
September 8th, 2010
10:21 pm
I agree with Red Panties Rick…. he should have included red panties with the jersey. I am sure he could have gotten $1,500+
twodawgs
September 8th, 2010
10:26 pm
Nothing more than selling a jersey. But lying to NCAA is unforgivable, according to the high and mighty NCAA. Penalty is absolutely unfair, considering the Bama player got twice that amount of money. Additionally, Green donated his profits to charity, thus got nothing for his efforts. How about the Bama and other players: did they donate or keep their loot?
As for stipends or paying these athletes because the university profits from them (Indentured servants, etc) and the athletes get nothing, I call BS. They get four years free tuition at a major university, opportunity to earn a degree from same university, free books, meals, room, perks such as scooters, a chance to continue their passion in the pros, celebrity status on campus and all the women they want. Come on, they are getting plenty for playing the game. They will get their financial rewards when they reach the pros. However they want it NOW.
Finally, A J knew the rules, knew that selling memorabilia was against the rules. He violated the rules and must accept the consequences. However the consequences should be fair in comparison to violations by other players. Sad part is that he let his coaches, teammates and fans down. We expected better of you, A J!
U_SuC
September 8th, 2010
10:27 pm
well this is Bullsheet.