Report: Former UNC player, considered agent by NCAA, bought Green’s jersey
The person who paid Georgia wide receiver A.J. Green $1,000 for his Independence Bowl jersey is a former North Carolina football player whom the NCAA considers an agent, ESPN.com reported Thursday night.
Chris Hawkins identified himself in Facebook messages to Green as a financial advisor and memorabilia collector, according to the report, which cited unnamed sources.
The report quoted Hawkins as saying: “I didn’t come at A.J. like a marketer or an agent. I’m not an agent. I talked to him about ‘Good game this’ and ‘Good game that.’ I wanted the jersey because I collect jerseys.”
Green was suspended for four games by the NCAA on Wednesday for violation of the organization’s rule against accepting benefits from agents.
Georgia is appealing the decision to the NCAA Division I Committee on Student-Athlete Reinstatement in hopes of having the length of the suspension reduced. The appeal is expected to be considered next week. Green is not eligible to play during the appeal process.
Hawkins, a former North Carolina defensive back, is “at the center” of an NCAA investigation into alleged rules violations in the Tar Heels program, ESPN.com said. According to the report, a source said Hawkins contacted several sports agents about their interest in representing North Carolina players in the NFL draft.
The NCAA defines an agent as “any individual who markets or promotes a student-athlete.” According to the facts of the case submitted by Georgia to the NCAA, Green sold the jersey “to an individual who meets the NCAA definition of an agent.”
It also would be against NCAA rules for a student-athlete to sell memorabilia to a non-agent.
“It’s in a frame in a basement right now,” Hawkins said of Green’s jersey, according to the report.
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346 comments Add your comment
Jim Harrick
September 10th, 2010
8:38 am
Your test scores will be avaialble monday, but everyone passed with the 95 or higher.
Jan Kemp
September 10th, 2010
8:39 am
I am sick and tired of the permissiveness allowed with these football players. We are expected to pass these players even when they cannot read or write.
T from 31005
September 10th, 2010
8:41 am
Why can’t UGA just pay their players under the table like Florida does? Then they wouldn’t have to sell jerseys.
SAT
September 10th, 2010
8:41 am
If you can carry a rock, you can get into UGA, plain and simple just as long as you don’t move into my Walton county or Oconee county neighborhood…right?
Alphare
September 10th, 2010
8:43 am
Why didn’t AJGreen get the Dez Bryant treatment is beyond me. He did the exact same thing as Dez Bryant, and Dez Bryant was suspended for the rest of the season.
Why is AJGreen so special?
Dr. Kenneth Noisewater
September 10th, 2010
8:44 am
AltamahaDawg- very good point. I’d expect UGA to win the appeal, Green will sit out against USC and be back for Arkansas. Meanwhile, Brown/Gray/Durham & T.King will have break out games. Orson will also step up huge.
kerryb
September 10th, 2010
8:50 am
It’s a piece of garbage individual like this that messes these kids up. This idiot shouldn’t have COME AT A.J. at all to buy anything. Being a former player he knows that A.J. can’t sell him anything. What a low life piece of scum this guy is. UGA fans should go to North Carolina and look this clown up.
Jack G.
September 10th, 2010
8:50 am
The only way the NCAA is going to be brought under control, is for the players to form a union. Strike if necessary
PMC
September 10th, 2010
8:50 am
If you’re going to take money from an actual agent (in return for that agent screwing you for 10% of your salary later on) I would hope it’s for a heck of a lot more than $1000.
kerryb
September 10th, 2010
8:52 am
Players should start representing themselves and cut these garbage agents out of the loop. They are worse than personal injury attorneys.
PMC
September 10th, 2010
8:52 am
GT Mom, are there people at your company that make more money than other people at the company or does everyone get exactly the same salary?
If so…why?
bravesfansince66
September 10th, 2010
8:59 am
If you’re going to do the crime you better be ready to do the time.
bravesfansince66
September 10th, 2010
8:59 am
Enter your comments here
AltamahaDawg
September 10th, 2010
9:01 am
Maybe we need the NCAA to establish eligibility to comment on sports blog.
I’m pretty sure that making asinine comments based of a blattent agenda and not intellectual honesty would land half of you with a 4 week suspension.
GT GRAD
September 10th, 2010
9:08 am
Come on guys…….Green is being punished by NCAA because he lied about it when he was questioned.
He should not have sold the jersey for $$$…….small punishment.
He definitely should not have lied about it when questioned……..larger punishment.
gtforever
September 10th, 2010
9:11 am
Simply ABSURD! The NCAA is a JOKE….
KeepDreaming
September 10th, 2010
9:12 am
WHO CARES, OLD STORY. Can we talk about the game on Saturday please?
Dumbo
September 10th, 2010
9:12 am
NCAA …………YOU ARE A LIER. DODD pulled out of SEC, couldn’t compete with ALABAMA…..as for Bryant / Butts joke that Bisher wrote of…..see Saturday Evening Post lost court case & $3 Mill in 1963 dolllar which would = about 34 Million today
Mike Bobo 17 INT
September 10th, 2010
9:13 am
Tend to agree with your statement. How about a cold Molson?
PMC
September 10th, 2010
9:13 am
UGA is going to be fine in this game, South Carolina is also missing Saunders. It’s going to be a very close hard fought game just like the one last night.
Mike Bobo 17 INT
September 10th, 2010
9:14 am
Look folks, you better keep you eye on the ball and do not allow this situation distract you, which is what Spurrier wants.
Flo-Ri-Duh!
September 10th, 2010
9:15 am
Pitiful – let’s see what happens saturday…. everything else is history. Murray looked good last saturday but he had lots of time to throw in the 1st half – not as much in the 2nd and when rushed he made a couple of throws that could have been picked. Running the ball in the SEC can be hazardous to his health. S.C. may have 3 key starters suspended for this game and definitely Saunders(TE) who lit UGA up last year is gone – a big loss. If Culliver (DB) does not get to play UGA will have an advantage.
Rade
September 10th, 2010
9:17 am
Green knew what he was doing was wrong. His arrogance made him think that he could lie his way out of it. Unfortunately for him, the NCAA is not Mark Richt, who turns a blind eye to everything.
Just another dawgtard thug.
ryan
September 10th, 2010
9:17 am
Man does the NCAA has egg on its face turns out it was not agent at all .
Patrick
September 10th, 2010
9:19 am
Alphare… Dez got the book thrown at him because he lied about it to the NCAA. I’ve only read that AJ was honest in the investigation, so the situation is actually quite a bit different.
GT Grad – Where did you read that he lied about it? Or are you just making assumptions…
PMC
September 10th, 2010
9:24 am
I don’t understand where people think he lied to the NCAA. Lying would have been telling investigators something he knew not to be true. He told them he sold the jersey and whom he sold it to. They then asked if he had ever taken money from an agent..he said no. He didn’t know that this guy was considered an Agent by NCAA standards… The NCAA doesn’t even know what their standards are 75% of the time.
Christmas Carol
September 10th, 2010
9:25 am
Why wouldn’t AJ lie or cheat? He came from the most lying and most cheating high school program in the country – Summerville SC – where the cheating is never checked – recruiting is done – players are given places to live in Summerville so they can play for the Green Wave – big time violations – but high school league does nothing. Maybe they are paid also.
Flo-Ri-Duh!
September 10th, 2010
9:27 am
Alphare – Dez Bryant and A.J. were different situations. Dez got screwed. For just talking to Deon Sanders and denying he did so to the NCAA he was suspended for the year. There is no evidence that he received any money or sold any thing. The NCAA over reached in that case. Their feelings were hurt because he didn’t bow down to these little Hitler wanna be’s. A.J. should get a 1 1/2 game suspension because of what happened at Bama wth DE Darius. What Darius did was worse than A.J. and he got two games. Darius went to Miami, to the agents party, received $2,000 from an agent (plane fair, food, free room, etc.). He lost his mother last month and maybe that is why the NCAA lightened up on him. He got 2 games – A.J. should get 1 1/2 games for a lesser offense.
ryan
September 10th, 2010
9:28 am
NCAA should just let AJ play maybe not against SC but for other games .
CLARK CO. PD
September 10th, 2010
9:32 am
If Chris Hawkins is a piece of garbage and a low life piece of scum then so is AJ. You act as if these players can’t make decisions on there own. You could be right based on the arrests and suspensions in recent years. They’re 18-24 year olds if they can’t make correct decisions by this time in life they’ll probably never make correct decisions. All AJ had to do was say NO. What a piece of garbage he is.
AppalachianDawg
September 10th, 2010
9:33 am
Did you just “copy & paste” this from ESPN that reported this same information last night?
PMC
September 10th, 2010
9:34 am
From what I understood Darius found out what the party was when he arrived and got out immediately. I would imagine unless there is a standard that says that this is required to be a 4 game suspension it could be reduced to 2 games after the appeal as a penalty being excessive is one of the things that can be appealed.
Why does anyone believe this Garbage?
September 10th, 2010
9:35 am
AltamahaDawg or whatever you are ….you are such a homer and unrealist….if this was some other school or even the Dareus situation you would be on here or have been on here saying the NCAA got it right or making up some slammed comments how the kid knew and he should be ruled ineligible. But with you when the AJC or one of its writers, or the Athens Police or the NCAA calls out, arrest or punishes your great “dawgs” it is unfair, wrong, profiling and every other damn excuse in the rolodex. I will spend a little time this weekend and look back over these blogs and see how many times you have called out other schools and how many times you have run your pie hole about your great dogs.
It is okay to be a “HOMER”, but it is not okay to be a “GOMER HOMER” which you are. You thinking AJ GREEN is a VICTIM. This kid has been on the take since he signed his letter of intent and his family has been too. Now Georgia has a committment from a “preacher’s kid” who is not even playing his senior year to having sexual relations with a minor, yet I am sure he is made a victim because he has committed to UGA. You are a joke,,,and when Carolina kicks your dogs on Saturday…come on here and make excuses..more and more excuses…When was UGA’s last National Title? Oh yeah 1980 something…10 and 10 the last two years against eastern division foes..boy yeah…you guys are like the Texas A&M of the SEC..great name on the jersey but nothing to show for in the past 5 years….
PMC
September 10th, 2010
9:36 am
In my opinion no one is a piece of garbage in this situation. At best we’re talking morality here and or playing in accordance with the rules of said game.
This is an incredibly minor offense compared to the other arrests (Theft, driving on suspended and leaving the scene, hit and run etc.)
This guy simply sold a jersey that was his to sell. The only issue in question is that the NCAA doesn’t want these kind of sales to occur when players are still playing.
Bigstevo101
September 10th, 2010
9:39 am
The problem here isn’t just whether AJ is guilty because he was but the double standard of his punishment. He is getting different treatment from the NCAA than an Alabama player who broke the exact same rule. That means there is really only 2 potential reasons they targeted Green more heavily. One they wanted to use a big name to make a statement but then Dareus is a big name as well, or the other is the NCAA plays favorites. We already knew this to be true NCAA likes Bama more than UGA so their punishments will be less.
UNC Rocks and Rules
September 10th, 2010
9:41 am
Check out the Washington Post (today’s) take on this issue. Pretty forceful.
the real Old Gold
September 10th, 2010
9:42 am
The guy also played at Marshall.
saban
September 10th, 2010
9:43 am
Yep. Green manned up when he was caught.
Wait till they find out how much was made from selling red panties.
bdawge71
September 10th, 2010
9:44 am
dear students let us discuss the news of the day. someone please tell the TECH student body that all you have to do is go down to the old STEWART AVE and get a date, not go to a womans dorm and solicit your goods. and remember 30-24. 10-4.
Tech fan
September 10th, 2010
9:45 am
UGA…..U Get Arrested
Why does anyone believe this Garbage?
September 10th, 2010
9:45 am
You whining make stuff up wanna be’s…Dareus told investigators exactly what happened and Austin confirmed his story by telling the NCAA that he told Dareus he was paying for it, No agent had any direct contact with Dareus, Dareus got reciepts showing he repaid the money once he got wind there was agents behind the gathering and left immediately. Dareus gave detailed accounts, without one inch of dishonesty and came to the Alabama compliance office as soon as he returned from the trip(second) which is the one he found out the agents were fronting the gathering.
AJ on the other hand was not truthful, may not have lied , but he was not forthcoming and made the NCAA do their own research and did not give up any names. The NCAA also determined that AJ had varying degrees of contact with said agent and runner prior to selling of the jersey.
If you think the appeal is going to get overturned, and shortened to two weeks, keep dreaming…it ain’t going to happen.
Laughing Vol
September 10th, 2010
9:45 am
Love reading these comments. Dawg fans run their mouth on here when Vol players were arrested few months back as if their players never get arrested. Meanwhile they have had 9 since March. Go figure. Run that mouh some more. Green knew exactly what he was doing. But let’s make NCAA the bad guy. If they didn’t have rules such as these, college football would be a mess. Bottom line…UGA talks to their players about stuff like this. If they don’t, it’s their fault. Cry more tears dawg fans. Hilarious.
Why does anyone believe this Garbage?
September 10th, 2010
9:48 am
Laughing Vol..as much as I hated Fat Phil the Squeal..I am with you brother….this is funny as UGA licking himself on the 50 and then kissing a cheerleader.
McDawg
September 10th, 2010
9:51 am
so it takes the NCAA how long to determine if this guy meets the definition of an agent???
LarryDawg1
September 10th, 2010
9:51 am
Vinnie Do Lee, you are living proof that it takes one to know one!
the truth...
September 10th, 2010
9:52 am
the NCAA is a bunch of old Farts…who seek to maintain the status quo and see that ALL the money they can make on these kids is done for the exclusive benefit of the NCAA and the coconspirators…the colleges that “hire” them for a scholarship…
I would think that since baseball is the only sport that enjoys the congressional exclusion from anti-trust laws, that should some hot shot lawyers attack these policies they could be overturned and the kids might get some relief….
Oh…but the “hot shot lawyers” are part of the problem aren’t they? They are the agents….
Screw the agents and let the kids make a few bucks…most of them will never make squat as pros….give it up NCAA.
ryan
September 10th, 2010
9:53 am
Laughing Vol all AJ did was sell a jersey to a sports collector he did not punch a cop till he was unconscious like Da Thug .
LarryDawg1
September 10th, 2010
9:54 am
Laughing Vol, are you trying to compare selling a jersey that belonged to him, and that he wore in a game, to robbing a store? You’re funny!
MUSA
September 10th, 2010
9:56 am
Collegiate athletes should be paid a small hourly wage for the hours that they practice and play. Maybe 10 bucks an hour. The time they spend in practice, film sessions, etc. is time that the average student has to go get a job. Maybe, if we did something like this, the student-athletes would have such a great need for financial help, etc. Naturally, there are always gonna be the ones who are gonna mess up. However, I think that it may alleviate some of the burden.
Why does anyone believe this Garbage?
September 10th, 2010
9:59 am
Ladies and Gentlemen….AN ANNOUNCEMENT PLEASE…
The BIGGEST uneducated homer for Georgia is now on the blog…..
Please welcome the biggest, dumb*** to ever post on any AJC blog..
ryan….
his moms has made him his morning toaster streudel and he is set until his peanut butter sandwich lunch and snack pack.