Nick Saban Calls out NFL Agents
Nick Saban held nothing back as he spoke out against unscrupulous agents in the National Football League (NFL). The Alabama coach compared these agents’ behavior to that of a pimp.
Saban commented on the ongoing NCAA investigations that have gone on concerning agents and college players.
"I don't think it's anything but greed that's creating it right now on behalf of the agents," Saban said in a rant at the Southeastern Conference media days. "The agents that do this -- and I hate to say this, but how are they any better than a pimp? I have no respect for people who do that to young people. None. How would you feel if they did it to your child?" Saban said.
Recently, three Southeastern Conference schools (Florida, Alabama, and South Carolina) have been investigating allegation of players’ improper contact with professional agents.
Both Alabama and Georgia are currently investigating and are looking into a visit that their players made to an agent’s party in Miami. Alabama defensive lineman (DL) Marcell Dareus and Georgia tight end (TE) Weslye Saunders both took a trip to South Beach for the party.
Florida and the NCAA are also investigating whether offensive lineman Maurkice Pouncey, who’s now an NFL rookie, received $100,000 from a sports agent's representative between the SEC championship game and the Sugar Bowl.
Pouncey has denied that this is true and read in a statement: "I did not accept $100,000, it is an absolutely ridiculous claim," he sad. "I have completely cooperated with the investigation and answered any and all questions put to me."
The Florida Gators have claimed they support Pouncey. Coach Urban Meyer commented on the situation: "If something happened, we should be punished severely," he said. "If it didn't happen, then it's nonsense. I heard his denial today and we stand by Maurkice Pouncey."
The NFL Players’ Association (NFLPA) recently stated their disapproval toward agents acting improperly with college players.
Saban is a former head coach of the Miami Dolphins and called for the NFLPA to suspend agents whose dealings cost players eligibility.
"That's the only way we're going to stop this happening, because it's ridiculous and it's entrapment for young people at a very difficult time in their life," he said. "It's very difficult for the NCAA to control it, and it's very unfair to college football.”
Meyer also stated that the NFLPA should hold agents accountable for their actions as he claimed it’s getting harder to keep agents away from their players: "It's epidemic right now," he said. "It's always been there, but I think we've reached a point where the magnitude of college football is really overwhelming. We've really got to keep an eye on that."
The NFL seems unlikely to get involved though as league spokesman Greg Aiello stated: "The agents are regulated by the union."
Aiello also added that the NFLPA is on top of the situation: "The union's comments make clear that no encouragement is necessary."
NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith voiced the opinion of the NFLPA, as he agreed strong consequences should befall agents who act this way.
"I think that any agent or contract adviser who does that, and preys upon kids like that in college, is something that we're going to deal with extremely aggressively," Smith said. "Frankly, god help those agents if they're found to be in violation, because I've given our players... the green light to take the most aggressive steps that they want to take. If those steps include me or someone else in our office making a criminal referral under certain circumstances, that's what we'll do," said Smith.
Current NCAA rules allow agents to contact players, but players cannot accept any benefits from agents and doing so can have severe consequences for a player. The agents should hold more accountability though as they are professionals dealing with young players who may not know any better and don’t know what they’re getting into. It’s something that must be stopped before it gets worse.
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