Confessions of a former NFL Agent WOW

[Harry0569]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/m ... ?eref=sihp

This stuff is insane.

Raiders TE Greg Townsend turned to Luchs, then a ball boy, for a urine sample since he knew he wouldn't pass a "surprise" drug test.

•Pretty much everyone on UCLA in the mid-90s was taking money from agents.

•Jonathan Ogden didn't accept money, but he did take Luchs's tickets to see Janet Jackson in concert. "I went with a 6'9" guy who weighed more than 300 pounds and who screamed "Janet!" the whole night like a teenage girl."

•Chris Mims took $500 per month during his senior season at Tennessee. Tony Banks also got paid monthly.

•Ryan Leaf had big-time credit card debt, so he accepted monthly payments from Luchs. He would eventually leave Luchs for Leigh Steinberg, but after signing his pro contract, he paid Luchs back about what he had received.

•Santonio Holmes told Luchs it wasn't worth talking to him, because Holmes was already receiving regular payments from another agent.

•Dana Stubblefield, J.J. Stokes and Keyshawn Johnson all turned down money from Luchs.

•Gary Wichard never paid money to players, but it was no secret that he may have paid a UNC coach to steer his players to him.

•Finally, the Mel Kiper story:

In 2000, before a meeting with Stanford defensive lineman Willie Howard, Gary arranged for ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper to call. Gary and I were talking to Willie in Gary's office when Gary's phone rang, and he put it on speakerphone.

"Viper, how are you?" Gary said. That's what he called Mel, Viper or Vipe. "Viper, I'm sitting here with the best defensive lineman in college football. Do you know who that is?"

"You must be with Willie Howard," Mel said.

Gary used Mel like that all the time. In the agent business, people know Gary and Mel are close, and some people suspect that Mel ranks players more favorably if they are Gary's clients.

So there we go. Plenty of questions to be asked over the coming days and weeks, but it's not like it will make a difference. The statute of limitations is up on any NCAA violations described, and it's not like any of these revelations will come as a big surprise to anyone who knows how these things work. Still, it's sobering to see players and agents named, and to grasp just how commonplace this stuff is.

Luchs's credibility will be questioned, since he undoubtedly has a bone to pick after being suspended by the NFLPA for pocketing money meant for his employer, Gary Wichard. (Luchs has since left the agent business altogether.) So while nothing will change immediately from this story, the scope of agent payments in college football is gradually becoming too large to ignore. And it's becoming impossible to believe that the problem is anything but an institutional one.

Confessions of an agent [Sports Illustrated]

[htownponyfan]

This is pretty crazy stuff. Not surprising at all though considering the money that's at stake in sports.

[Nacho]

thank goodness they didn't mention the dp.

[smupony94]

no such thing as bad press

[Peruna 2K5]

Read this earlier today, fascinating read. Jerry Maguire never paid his players

[RednBlue11]

i think the NCAA may levy its favorite and most insignificant punishment, vacating wins

how can they now?


oh yeah, because they are hypocrites

[Stallion]

There's a big difference under NCAA rules between cheating by a representative of a universities' interests and cheating by an NFL Agent who has no affiliation to a particular university

[Mexmustang]

Some of these agents weren't as independent from the universities as they appear. There is a reason why USC was penalized. The people at Standford feel that this was common practice at USC and while the NCAA couldn't prove most of what they suspected, it was more than obvious the extent to which Bush was benefiting from the system. I only wonder why UNC has escaped sanctions, then again it maybe too early.

[CA Mustang]

Some of these agents weren't as independent from the universities as they appear.

Do you have proof of that or is that just your speculation?

The people at Standford feel that this was common practice at USC and while the NCAA couldn't prove most of what they suspected,...

So the NCAA couldn't prove it after a multi-year investigation, but you are sure it happened? How again did you come to that conclusion?

[RednBlue11]

Wojo does a good job here explaining why no one will ever know these things..mostly because the NCAA can'y even figure it out in spite of themselves.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/commenta ... id=5420728

[Mexmustang]

No of course I don't have any proof. If the NCAA can't prove these allogations how could a fan of another school? I was pretty clear the penalities were pretty heavy for the one violation concerning Bush. I only repeated what many at other Pac Ten schools have been complaining about and suspecting for a number of years. Stanford has been especially critical, boosters and alumns have made numerous allegations against USC for what they believe was a program out of control throughout Carroll's tenure. There is extremely bad blood between the two staffs and suporters. In addition to the severe penalities, there are a number of other questions: Why did Pete Carroll suddenly depart? Why was the AD fired? Why did it take the NCAA, such a long-time to prove what should have been fairly simple--that Reggie Bush's family was living way above their means? or that Carroll had an assitant coach in excess of the mandated limit? I believe because there were a series of violations that were raised, but could not be absolutely proven--particularily when the Athletic Director was "stonewalling" the investigation.

I have noticed that USC makes a number of claims it didn't know etc, of the agents benefits and that they were undeserving of the penalties, but what about the other violations? Not once have I heard Pete Carrol explain these away. Pretty simply to count the number of assistant coaches on his payroll, something he couldn't do.

[Harry0569]

A friend of mine works for a basketball agent, and his response to this was "ho-hum" everyone does it. All big time prospects get paid..

[Stallion]

Alumni paying players to induce them to enroll at a particular school is substantially different than NFL agents paying players already at a particular school to sign with them for their NFL career. Not sure the NCAA is really ready to turn over that rock and expose the scum underneath because it might devastate College Football and Basketball just like Steroids did Baseball.

[EastStang]

Agent access goes under the moniker of "lack of institutional control" over the program. Allowing kids access to agents (which in my view is nearly impossible) may fall under lack of institutional control. Sort of like when a player rolls up to practice in a new car and you recruited him out of poverty. It should raise a red flag to any coach, and unfortunately many coaches go ostrich on their players sudden turns of fortune and by doing so become enablers.

[Harry0569]

Agent access goes under the moniker of "lack of institutional control" over the program. Allowing kids access to agents (which in my view is nearly impossible) may fall under lack of institutional control. Sort of like when a player rolls up to practice in a new car and you recruited him out of poverty. It should raise a red flag to any coach, and unfortunately many coaches go ostrich on their players sudden turns of fortune and by doing so become enablers.

Butch Davis anyone? Davis said he had no idea that his players were flying down to Miami, and getting paid. If he didn't know it, then he as you said ES no institutional control, and if he did [which I guarantee you he did], he wanted to try and cover it up to save his [deleted].

He will get fired the day after the season ends, and magically he will remember that he knew all about this.