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
FireMarkRicht
September 8th, 2010
4:58 pm
Fire Mark Richt. Get a head coach who can control his team. Get a head coach that doesn’t use the bible as a means of how to play football. And fire Mark Richt. Well, keep him for recruitment, that’s it.
????
September 8th, 2010
4:58 pm
I don’t know why tech fans are so happy…can they not count??? 3 more games means he will be ready to kick your a** in november
saban
September 8th, 2010
4:58 pm
Well he can still wear red panties to the game.
Now Richt can blame the upcoming beatdowns on Green.
Oh well have to get ready to beat Penn State.
South Carolina 31 Georgia 7.
FireMarkRicht
September 8th, 2010
4:58 pm
Enter your comments here
Jim
September 8th, 2010
4:58 pm
This is absolute B S ! How is it that the player from Alabama received airline tickets and other “stuff” as also not allowed by the P R I C K S at the NCAA Headquarters and all he had to do was pay the costs of said items to a charity and he sits out ONE game.
Let A J sit out one game, he already has, and let him donate the money to charity as well – end of story. Saban has B A L L S and CMR and the administration at UGA have NONE.
R Truth
September 8th, 2010
4:59 pm
9 arrests this year, how many kicked off the team, suspended, and now, the star player…really, is anyone surprised at this point….this is what you are UGA….you are close to making the old bone thugs of Miami look like Oral Roberts U. This is one reason why you are hated, well, in addition to you defecating on your own campus, being obnoxious red necks, being stupid, etc…etc….etc…
LetHimGo
September 8th, 2010
4:59 pm
I am sick! AJ needs to be let go. The next 3 games will probably make or break this season. I say if he misses them and we some how manage to win all 3 without him we can do without him for the rest of the season. Pack his bags. What a boneheaded thing to do!
jimmymack
September 8th, 2010
4:59 pm
buzz kill please visit the tech campus and get mugged
Mike styron
September 8th, 2010
4:59 pm
Enter your comments here
Bama Boy
September 8th, 2010
4:59 pm
I am not a fan of UGA but 4 games is way to much. The NCAA is full of themself. I hope he win the appeal and be back sooner. Look like they trying to hold the SEC down. RTR!!
Lame City
September 8th, 2010
4:59 pm
Unbelievable — Dareus gets 2 games for Partygate; AJ gets four for selling a jersey. Utterly preposterous. Don’t care if it was a mistake by AJ — the punishment does not fit the crime. One, maybe two game suspension max. NCAA is an absolute joke.
Yellow Fuzzy
September 8th, 2010
4:59 pm
I wonder if he’d take $1,000 to be our stud. Mistress and I need a new darky in the boudoir.
T'VILLE DAWG
September 8th, 2010
4:59 pm
Hotdawg, how nice it must be to live up there in the clouds. You must be able to throw the first stone, go find out what this means.
Augusta
September 8th, 2010
4:59 pm
I heard it was George Bush’s fault.
atlvol55
September 8th, 2010
5:00 pm
Even as a Tennessee fan, I’ll admit this is crap. The NCAA never ceases to amaze me. Green seems like a good kid; seems like a very harsh penalty.
Go Vols
Lewis
September 8th, 2010
5:00 pm
Dareus’ suspension was reduced from 4 games to 2 games because he fully cooperated in the investigation and was actually commended by the NC2a for being forthcoming.
Draw whatever conclusions you will from AJ not getting a reduced suspension – perhaps he misled them, or perhaps it’s because the agent contact went beyond ’selling’ a jersey to him.
virginia dog
September 8th, 2010
5:00 pm
This is sad. AJ is not a crook. He is just a kid who thought he woujld not get caught. IT IS TIME FOR THE NFL TO TAKE A STAND. AFTER ALL THERE ARE NO AGENTS PAYING PRE MED STUDENTS FOR THERE BACK PACKS! Until the NFL steps in a and imposes a ban on all agents that tamper this will keep going.
After all… college football is a business and everyone is getting paid but the players.
SimpleDawg
September 8th, 2010
5:00 pm
Oh well, now we’ll see what kind of depth we have at WR/FLKR.
Who’s going to take this opportunity to shine under the spotlight?
There’s glory out there for somebody….
You all Just Don't Get It!
September 8th, 2010
5:00 pm
The point is that apparently he LIED to the investigator….that is as bad as the transgression itself–probably worse by the NCAA’s standards….poor as they may be. If I were AJ, I’d tell the whole bunch go to the devil, cash a multi-million dollar check that is surely to come and move on.
PMC
September 8th, 2010
5:00 pm
UGA will be fine anyway. THey have plenty of talent at wide out. Sure, this is easily the best player on the team… but it’s only 3 more games. He’ll be back. He’s a great kid and a great player and UGA is lucky to have him represent their school.
bornloser
September 8th, 2010
5:00 pm
deserves it what a moron. kick the moron off the team. how damn stupid can you be!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
TidePrideGA
September 8th, 2010
5:00 pm
This Is Crazy How He Get 4 Games But The Guy From Alabama The Lineman Marcellus Only Got 2 Games! Are U SERIOUS! UGA APPEAL THIS NOW! I CANT BELIEVE THIS 4 GAMES!
Again, as has been stated in one post. Dareus immediately left the party once he realized agents were at the party. he also immediately contacted Coach Saban and the NCAA. Dareus Honesty is what got his suspension lowered. He also repaid and provided all receipts from his travel. Also the NCAA never sent investigators down to Tuscaloosa, they did to Athens.. I hate to see a kid with the talent of Green have to sit out four games. I think a lot of the NCAA rules are crap. I feel for you dawg fans, good luck Saturday.
Lindsey
September 8th, 2010
5:01 pm
Brandon Spike got caught on tape for eye gauging sat out the Vanderbilt and the NCAA did nothing, but AJ sold an Independence Day Bowl shirt on eBay and he gets 4 games, that is BS!!!
Truthiness
September 8th, 2010
5:01 pm
The hypocrisy of the NCAA and big time college football is staggering. While both make hundreds of millions of dollars a year from the efforts of these players, they both want to insist that they’re protecting the integrity of the system for the student-athlete. Total BS. Stardom, celebrity, and marketing are stock in trade for the system, and no one blinks. But for the kids who play, it’s a reconditioned virginity when it comes to money that keeps them pure for the pros. NCAA football is a farm system and no fan thinks differently. The players should be able to take advantage of their talents to make money, just as everyone of us tries to do everyday, and these big schools should provide them business agents from the ranks of their glorious business schools to guide them until they can swim with the sharks. In the meanwhile, we’ll hold our noses and pretend this doesn’t stink.
Andy in Blairsville
September 8th, 2010
5:01 pm
LMAO
John
September 8th, 2010
5:01 pm
Damn. Just damn!
82Dawg
September 8th, 2010
5:01 pm
Rural Education ….where have you been? NCAA has said all along that he has been very upfront and helpful. You must be a BAMA fan by your comments.
JBDawg
September 8th, 2010
5:01 pm
First of all, drzlstrangelovejr, LALAF stacked the box with 8 or 9 men on running downs. Their strategy was to obviously make AM win the game, which he handled quite well.
2nd, the appeal process doesn’t appear to take very long. A ruling came out late on Masoli, which was appealed and decided on before the game last Saturday.
meh
September 8th, 2010
5:01 pm
they should give him time served and move on with their lives.
AU
September 8th, 2010
5:01 pm
“The NCAA should then not profit off of the sales of #8 jerseys or any video game he’s a part of for 4 games either.”
The NCAA doesn’t “profit off” anything. They pay salaries and fund schools and programs, but as far as I know they don’t have a big money room a la Scrooge McDuck.
Circus Act
September 8th, 2010
5:02 pm
Richt and the rest of these clowns must GO .
charlotte dawg
September 8th, 2010
5:02 pm
this is so depressing.
Real
September 8th, 2010
5:02 pm
Wow, A.J. gets 4 games for selling a jersey for $1000 while Marcell Dareus of Alabama only got 2 for receiving almost $2000 in goods and a trip to Miami?! Yeah, that makes a lot of sense NCAA.
BIG DAWG HF
September 8th, 2010
5:02 pm
Hey Buzz….just remember we kicked the crap out of you pathetic insects last year and AJ didn’t play. Go back to playing your video games while wearing your Dragon Con outfit.
bornloser
September 8th, 2010
5:02 pm
i hope he breaks his damn leg!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Aaron Murray
September 8th, 2010
5:02 pm
I’M
FREAKIN
DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-MED !!!!
Rest of Nation
September 8th, 2010
5:02 pm
Just as I said on the other post, you people are so ignorant. It’s not just a matter of selling a jersey for a couple bucks…this is how agents/boosters can launder money to athletes (yeah..here’s $1,000 bucks for your games socks….$750 for used shoes)…. It’s not fair to schools with smaller/less powerful alumni compared to these football factories. That is why there are rules against it….kick his butt off the team….Richt needs to GO!
David
September 8th, 2010
5:02 pm
What an idiot!!! What do we have to do to stop this from happening? Richt needs to get these guys under control. We have absolutely no control in this program!
MoDawg
September 8th, 2010
5:03 pm
So nice to see the haters chime in with their “witty” banter.
We’ll be fine. Unlike Tech, we have more than one receiver with pass-catching experience.
BigB
September 8th, 2010
5:03 pm
This is why this guys should get stipends – The school, Nike and whomever else gets millions from jersey sales with his number on the back but he gets hemmed up for making a lil cake on the jersey he actually wore and technically owned. His situation is different from those that simply take gifts from boosters and agents to be persuaded to take certain actions.
On the other hand he may have simply taken the $1K and then tried to disguise the fact with the “so-called” jersey sale.
HAHAHA
September 8th, 2010
5:03 pm
stupid mutts
Yellow Fuzzy, I will personally kick your ass. Just give me an address
September 8th, 2010
5:03 pm
Enter your comments here
LOL
September 8th, 2010
5:03 pm
Yeh, I bet Murray just soiled himself
UGA = Clemson = Perennial Underachievers
September 8th, 2010
5:04 pm
where are all the idiot dawg fans claiming his @ss would be playing on sat???
You clowns may get beat by half a hundred
this couldnt have happen to a better football program in the country
bugkiller
September 8th, 2010
5:04 pm
hey buzzkill he will still be back in time to beat gt again
Dawggonefan2
September 8th, 2010
5:04 pm
@DawgGoneFishing please refrain from posting senseless crap like that. Kick him off the team???? really you idiot??? thats what you really want them to do??? Please jump off a bridge and kill yourself.
bornloser
September 8th, 2010
5:04 pm
he lied!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! thats why the 4 games!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Bring the thing
September 8th, 2010
5:04 pm
No big deal—the Dawgs can beat usc easy without green. Arkansas and Miss State aren’t any good, so UGA wins those games with no problem.
Rolaids salesman
September 8th, 2010
5:04 pm
Dog fans you need to go ahead and order the Rolaids now !
private plane watching
September 8th, 2010
5:04 pm
This is crazy… who in their right mind would pay $1000 for a used Independence Bowl game jersey!!! Go UGAY!