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
Realistic Dawg Fan
September 9th, 2010
10:52 am
Dawg turd posts the same thing over and over. He can’t talk about football and he still believes the myth that Tek grads make more than UGA grads.
Couple of points Dawg tard….. my wife went to tek. She nor any of her fellow graduates make anywhere close to the money I make. I am the CEO of a $200m company. They are smart but lack personality and social skills. My wife is the exception that’s why she married a UGA graduate. So dawg tard you just keep trying to convience yourself a tek graduate is superior to a UGA grad. It jus ain’t so.
Brian
September 9th, 2010
10:57 am
I own a home 5,500 sq foot sitting on 500 acres in the North Ga Mountains. I Also own a beach house in Savanna and a lake house on Lanier I’m retired at 40 years old and I never wasted one second in College who’s the dumbass now Jack-off!!!
Sunday Snacks: JerseyGate blows up the web « Rachel G. Bowers
September 9th, 2010
10:58 am
[...] expected to appeal, but it will count the season opener as one of the four. Tim Tucker is all over this, like usual, for the UGA Sports blog for the [...]
NashvilleGamec0ck
September 9th, 2010
10:58 am
Test…
Tired of the talking, let's get to walking!
September 9th, 2010
11:20 am
There are alot of people who live in glass houses on here.
Nacho Daddy
September 9th, 2010
11:21 am
Too bad Ga. didn’t win the SEC, he could have sold his ring too.
Dap01
September 9th, 2010
11:25 am
Does Obama run the NCAA?
Dap01
September 9th, 2010
11:26 am
Yesterday, I saw a Tech helment signed by Nesbitt on EBay for $24.99. That price says it all!
Alabama Dog
September 9th, 2010
11:28 am
WTF- don’t count on this incident keeping Green at UGA another year-it probably just sped the process up!!!!!!
DT
September 9th, 2010
11:33 am
Just another player that Mark Richt has no control over. When will it end? Hopefully this year when we go 7-4 they will finally see the light. Never wins championships, always runs the same plays on 3rd and long. Never uses his athletes, can’t keep them out of jail or on probations. See ya Mark, great job.
damngooddawg!`
September 9th, 2010
11:36 am
Dear BuzzKill and Ditto That, At least someone wants a Georgia jersey. You dimwits!
Brian's Dad
September 9th, 2010
11:46 am
Your welcome son! Your trust fund was well managed don’t ever forget that.
Dawgpaw
September 9th, 2010
11:50 am
Mark it down. Georgia will win the next three games with or without AJ. Yes, Chris Durham is no AJ, but he is more than just an average player. Too many weapons on offence people. If we were defecient in the other skilled positions, I could see your point. Not the case here. If Grantham can keep our defence playing the way they were, all will be fine. The pollsters at the end of the year will be saying, they were winning without him, imagine what they will be like when he returns. All is fine in Dawgland. Relax, sit back and watch.
Dawgpaw
September 9th, 2010
11:51 am
gotta learn to spell, defense. Go Dawgs
Dawgpaw
September 9th, 2010
11:52 am
offense as well
SeaShark
September 9th, 2010
11:55 am
No argument with the suspension—bring the whip down on intentionally stupid behavior every time—but the NCAA should identify the agent and deal him some consequences too. Schools can’t ban the jerk from campus if they don’t know who he is.
Brian
September 9th, 2010
12:23 pm
No Dad people pay big bucks when they need help with computers. Writing software for big companies and making smart investments pays off big if you don’t waste your money donating to a program like UGA.
Weird...
September 9th, 2010
12:31 pm
I find it highly entertaining that these comments are being made for a number of reasons:
1. Not one of you know what the hell you are talking about. You weren’t there. You don’t know if AJ lied or not. You don’t know who it was sold to. You don’t know anything that hasn’t been released for general consumption.
2. Everything turns back to us vs. them instead of being about the issue here I’d say about half the comments are demeaning toward one team or another. Grow up.
People make bad choices all the time. Including every one of us. Get off your high horse, let the kid do his time and move on.
Concerned Southerner
September 9th, 2010
12:33 pm
The NFL and The NCAA must be in cahoots, seems the maximun penalty for an incident is four games. A.J. gets 4 games for selling a jersey, Rothlesberger get 4 games for raping a girl. Seems fair….NOT
DW
September 9th, 2010
12:34 pm
AJ wasn’t suspended for selling his jersey to an agent. He was suspended for taking money from an agent and trying to cover it up to look like he was just selling a jersey. Think about it; an Independence abowl jersey, for $1000? Come on. His UGA home jersey is worth more! Bottom line, he took money from an agent. He got off easy. And yes, I am a Dawg fan (Class of ‘85). I’m just not blind to reality.
WhatUpDawg?
September 9th, 2010
12:35 pm
What a bunch of whiney a$$ babies. He did something stupid. Something that it was clear that he wasnt suppose to do. And he got caught. Why shouldnt there be punishment? Come on. Get real.
CLARK CO. PD
September 9th, 2010
12:35 pm
Weird…
Will you be saying the same thing when this stuff keeps escalating into bigger and bigger things? Eventually its going to get worse. Bans from post season ECT…. Get over it move on….In Richt I trust!… OK everything will be OK says the weird guy!!
Weird...
September 9th, 2010
12:38 pm
While we’re at it, the poor decision making skills of other students at UGA does not lessen my degree. I worked damn hard for two degrees and find it offensive that people who attended other schools think less of it. Just because I didn’t attend school to become a doctor, lawyer, engineer, etc does not mean I didn’t get a quality education.
For the Tech fans who continue to make commentary about how player actions reflect upon my school, I point out that I attended the #19 Public College in the US. As for arrests and poor behavior, I ask you to look to your school. Every school has students arrested. Every school has students who make bad decisions. Last I checked, you had someone convicted of making videos of the US to help terrorists. That was national news but I don’t judge your degree based on that. I don’t bring that up to incite a riot but simply to show that none of us has room to judge.
PowerDawg
September 9th, 2010
12:40 pm
The Gnat gnuts are just mad because when they tried to sell their Orange Bowl jerseys, no one except IOWA fans were posting bids!
Wait a second… wait for it…. BWAAAAHAHAHAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!
Weird...
September 9th, 2010
12:42 pm
@Clark CO. PD I never said in Richt i Trust or anything of the like. I simply pointed out we are all passing judgement on a situation we really don’t know anything about. Per usual apparently.
I’m not saying nothing needs to be done but what qualifies any of us to be the judge of what that should be?
Dawgpound
September 9th, 2010
12:47 pm
Let me get this straight: 2 people (Green & Agent) are involved in breaking a NCAA rule. As a result, one of them gets suspended for 4 games which could potentially alter his future career and is depicted as a “criminal” by media outlets. The other remains nameless, faces no punishment and continues his professional career as if he never did anything wrong. Does anyone else think there is something wrong with this picture? Sports agents are without a doubt the primary source of corruption in college football and should face some sort of recourse for their involvement in breaking NCAA rules. Until that precedent is set, they will continue to negatively impact the lives of student-athletes and the respective institutions for which they play for.
makefootballlikegolf
September 9th, 2010
12:55 pm
Well, the more the NCAA is in the news and more participation they have makes it easy for them to justify their huge salaires for their elitist existance. I am slowly turning away from college football and becoming a sole NFL watcher. Who needs this kind of crap happening every year. Oh did the so called agent go to jail? Why not?
CLARK CO. PD
September 9th, 2010
1:02 pm
what qualifies any of us to be the judge of what that should be
We know he was suspended and he wouldn’t get suspended for nothing right? Fan is short of Fanatic and that gives us the right to boo poor play and bit-ch all we want.
Ace
September 9th, 2010
1:07 pm
This is indeed funny to read, I wish UGA would have a rule breaker every week. You fans are too much
Tech Man
September 9th, 2010
1:23 pm
I don’t know if all is true or not with AJ. I would like to know why they are so much trouble at uga. You don’t hear about that stuff at Tech. Also I would like to tell uga fans that you are goung to loose sat. against sc and that your hardest home game by far will be TECH!! That is no brainer!!
Tiki
September 9th, 2010
1:32 pm
The NCAA is being irrationale. Sure, Green should be punished because he did violate a rule, but obviously the NCAA has no concept of relativity. Ealey drives on a suspended license, hits a parked care, leaves the scene, and get a one game suspension. Tennessee players beat the hell out of a police officer and get to play. I guess the NCAA feels that Green’s violation is 4 times as bad as these other examples. Good rationale NCAA……knuckleheads.
Alabama Dog
September 9th, 2010
1:38 pm
Dawgpound: I agree in principal with what you are saying, but the bottom line here is Green put himself in a compromising position by so much as talking to an agent to begin with. Bottom line here is once the NCAA did away with athletic dorms, coaches-ANY coaches lost any kind of control they once had over players-PERIOD! Nick Saban was saying when Darius got caught that an agent’s license should be suspended for messing around with college players. Think he would have said that, or been as concerned if one of HIS players hadn’t been involved? I seriously doubt it! Although I will say this for Darius- he did admit HIS wrongdoing. To my knowledge, Green never did.
Alabama Dog
September 9th, 2010
1:57 pm
Tech Man: learn to spell before you invade this blog! The words are:GOING & LOSE!
Tech Man
September 9th, 2010
2:06 pm
It will take more than AJ to beat SC Sat. The lost of him will not be the reason why uga will get a lost!! I saw SC play and I think they got that game against the muts. uga played a elementary team that they payed to come in and beat up on last sat. That didn’t show me a lot!
mjgtfan
September 9th, 2010
2:06 pm
think the NCAA should investigate the complaince dept.and sanction them like they did USC! All is fair to be playing by the rules! Right?
Blondie
September 9th, 2010
2:07 pm
Another stupid Dawg! Green is just another in a long line of players who feel like the rules don’t apply to them. And Richt continues to recruit players that couldn’t be described as “smart” let alone “persons of substance and character” if you tried. “Thugs” seems more appropriate.
NINE arrests in one year is unacceptable. Green’s suspension for not following NCAA rules – rules that he agreed to when he accepted his scholarship – is perfectly fitting. This is college, not the NFL – you’re playing for honor and for the chance to go pro down the road. It’s no different than an unpaid internship.
If I were the coach, I’d let it be known that if you step out of line, felony or rules violation, you won’t be wearing a jersey at this university. No questions asked. Four games is a slap on the wrist.
Dear Alabama Dog
September 9th, 2010
2:09 pm
You should be telling the other dog fans that all this does not matter because Alabama is going to win back to back NCs after beating South Carolina in the SEC championship. Aaron Murray is in for a rude awakening this Saturday; welcome to the SEC big boy, South Carolina is not LL
Tech Man
September 9th, 2010
2:18 pm
Alabama Dog.. That’s real nice of you to point out my incorrect typing. You got to understand sometimes I don’t pay attention because of being destracted because of the crap I hear about the muts!!! and how the fans live in there bubble of imagination!!!!
Ga Athletic Awards
September 9th, 2010
2:30 pm
WaShaun Ealey: Car and Drivers Athlete of the Year
AJ Green: Ebay Salesperson of the Year
UGA: Bailsbonds Association Customer of the Year
Ricky scdawg
September 9th, 2010
2:32 pm
The NCAA has totally to much of a free range to operate within that creates an unfair range of rulings and punishments.
dawgfan
September 9th, 2010
2:58 pm
Definitely appeal way to harsh 4 games come on
how2fish
September 9th, 2010
3:27 pm
Blondie if you were a coach?? Better chance of peace in the Middle East.? How about the 8 arrests at Notre Dame the same day..is that “acceptable” sweetie?
Alabama Dog
September 9th, 2010
3:34 pm
Dear Alabama Dog: Keep crowing! There are at least 11 more games to go! BTW, Penn State’s not San Jose State, either!
Eisendawg
September 9th, 2010
3:42 pm
Well, I see one of the Miami baseball players has been caught selling pot to a undercover agent. He also was found with steroids. Of course, this pales in comparison to selling a jersey.
benny
September 9th, 2010
3:59 pm
Enter your comments here
ryan
September 9th, 2010
4:11 pm
All those crimes were small compared to others look at Virgina La cross player murdered a young female student oh yea Rodgers punching a cop is lot worst to most of UGA’s crimes are petty .
Ken
September 9th, 2010
4:26 pm
I think they gave him 2 games for the Jersey and an additional two for being dumb enough to go to UGA.
Sara
September 9th, 2010
4:54 pm
Everything I read about UGA is sickening. Any school with integrity would fire Mark Richt and send his thugs away.
Sickening.
Reed
September 9th, 2010
4:57 pm
Since dawgtards seem to love living in the past, how about remembering the Jan Kemp trial, which exposed UGA and Vince Dooley for the jokes that they were. My favorite quote from the trial was this one:
O. Hale Almand Jr., a lawyer for the defense, offered a justification for the favorable treatment accorded the athletes, citing a hypothetical player. “We may not make a university student out of him,” he told the jury, “but if we can teach him to read and write, maybe he can work at the post office rather than as a garbageman when he gets through with his athletic career.”
The best thing about the trial was that it completely killed Vince Dooley’s shot at Congress, since he was exposed as a fraud and a cheat during the trial. Make no mistake – Dooley knew everything that was going on.
Nothing has changed in the almost three decades since the trial. If anything, the abuses are even worse. Exhibit #1: Jim Harrick and son.
Today the players are even more illiterate and felonious and, well, just plain stupid, as evidenced by their arrest records and record number of penalties. Even Vince Dooley couldn’t have controlled this mob, much less Mark Richt. And now even the AD is a drunk debaucherer.
There’s a reason why UGA is known as The Cesspool of the South.
Byers
September 9th, 2010
5:13 pm
Green is just another two-bit punk and thug, one of many at UGA. Get rid of his azz now before he takes the team down with him.