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Maryland receiver Torrey Smith (82) has to dodge |
GREENSBORO, N.C.--
Tyrod Taylor found a novel way to avoid the agents who have been hounding his college football brethren,He got a new cell phone.
"The number I did have, I don't have anymore, Taylor said yesterday. "Maybe that's why I don't hear from them."
Before long, though, Taylor's new digits will undoubtedly fall into the wrong hands, putting Virginia Tech's star senior quarterback on the radar of those lusting to represent him if he makes it to the NFL. Never respected on the level of teachers or firemen, agents have gotten an even worse name recently--"pimps," according to Alabama coach Nick Saban--now that several schools are under investigation for alleged improper benefits provided to their players from outside sources,
Southern Cal returned its replica of Reggie Bush's 2005 Heisman Trophy and lost 30 scholarships. Florida and North and South Carolina are cooperating with NCAA investigators. And like rats in your house, for every one you see there are probably 10 you don't.
"It's a problem that's hard to get your arms around," Atlantic Coast Conference commissioner John Swofford said at the league's annual kickoff media event yesterday.
Swofford insists that ACC schools do a good job of informing their players that NCAA rules prohibit them from signing with an agent or accepting money or favors until after their senior seasons. But UNC defensive tackle Marvin Austin is being investigated for allegedly driving an expensive car, and the NCAA wants to know how he and his close friend South Carolina tight end Weslye Saunders made it to a Miami party thrown by San Francisco 49ers running back Frank Gore.
Reports say Austin, a Washington native and projected 2011 first-round NFL draft pick, could be suspended for his senior season. Is he a cautionary tale, or just a guy who got caught?
"Everybody's aware of it," said Virginia senior cornerback Ras-I Dowling, another potential first-round pick. "The biggest thing is not feeding into it."
That's more easily said than done, especially for players who come from modest backgrounds. They see the millions of dollars raked in by their schools--and the big contracts signed by NFL stars. It's hard to blame them for wanting a slice of the pie.
That's an age-old debate for another day, though. Rules are rules, and some of the nation's most prestigious programs are a little nervous just as preseason practice is scheduled to begin.
"As an AD and a coach, you feel vulnerable, to an extent," Swofford said. "It's not an easy situation to control, from an institutional standpoint. You have to create a culture within your program making sure [players] know what they can and cannot do and that they realize that if they do things that are not appropriate, how much it can jeopardize themselves, their teammates and the institutions they represent."
The only people who don't face the consequences are the agents themselves--and their campus operatives. Called "runners," they are often students hired to approach star athletes at parties or on campus and drop the name and number of an interested agent.
Torrey Smith has seen a few runners at Maryland. But the former Stafford High School star knows that if he ever messed up, he'd have to answer to Kevin Glover, a former NFL Pro Bowl offensive lineman who now serves as the Terrapins' director of character education.
"You'll know whose intentions are good," said Smith, who could turn pro after his junior season. "We go through education classes. The best thing about it is [Glover]'s been an agent. He breaks it down for us. He's talked to me several times and educated me."
The UNC investigation comes even after the Tar Heels brought in several respected agents in the spring to meet with pro prospects and their families and introduce them to the process. Some might compare that to handing out condoms and needles --acknowledging an issue and trying to control it.
Swofford wants even more action. Yesterday, he saluted North Carolina Secretary of State Elaine Marshall for trying to seek stiffer penalties than the current $25,000 fines for agents who violate the Uniform Athletes Agent Act. And he wants the NCAA to work with the NFL and NBA players unions to punish or even suspend rogue agents.
"We as a collegiate community have no hammer with these people," Swofford said.
Ultimately, though, it comes down to character. No matter how vigilant a coach or school is, athletes will always be tempted to cash in early--and someone will be there to dangle bling in front of them.
So what's a commissioner (or coach, or AD) to do?
"Hope for the best," Swofford said, "and if you have a problem, deal with it."
Lately, it's looking more like the worst.
Steve DeShazo: 540/374-5443
Email: sdeshazo@freelancestar.com
