The days of taking money under the table as a college player and then evading punishment once you get drafted by a pro team may be over. Apparently the NCAA and the NFL are working on some kind of super-secret probation policy that would allow the league to suspend rookies who are found guilty of taking money from agents or boosters.
Usually it’s the players and coaches left behind (sometimes years later as in the infamous Reggie Bush situation) who take the brunt of the punishment. And, while this is a good start, what about some kind of punishment for agents who also break the law? Not possible you say? It would be if sports agents had to be licensed at the Federal level and had a code of ethics or they’d be disbarred, so to speak. The Dumbasses! logo at right is for both institutions for taking so long to try and fix a problem that fans have been complaining about for DECADES.
Here’s more from ESPN:
Players who lose their college eligibility for receiving improper benefits from agents could face financial penalties upon entering the NFL draft under a proposal being considered by a panel of college and pro football officials seeking solutions to the problem.
The NCAA noted the possibility of “potential post-NCAA financial penalties” in a news release Monday announcing the collaborative discussions between professional and college football leaders, player agents, state law enforcement officials and NCAA executives.
The possibility of suspensions during a player’s NFL rookie year — as long as six to eight games — is also being discussed, according to two sources involved in the collaborative discussions including representatives of the NFL, the NFLPA, the NCAA and the American Football Coaches Association.
This means that if a college player’s eligibility has ended under NCAA penalty, a player such as former Oklahoma State and current Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant or former North Carolina defensive lineman Marvin Austin could be subject to penalties that extend well beyond the loss of college eligibility.
