USC. North and South Carolina. Now potentially the University of Florida. The NCAA Committee on Infractions is catching them coming and going like a Krispy Kreme shop that just opened up across the street from an inpatient weight loss clinic.
Former Florida and current Pittsburgh Steeler lineman Maurkice Pouncey may have taken $100,000 from an agent after the SEC Championship Game but before the Sugar Bowl, reports the WWL. This would of course jeopardize Urban Meyer's gutsy victory over Cincinnati in the face of crippling acid reflux, as the NCAA looks askance at victories earned using ineligible players. Though to be fair, Abe Vigoda could have lined up at center in that game and it really wouldn't have made much of a difference.
So much sadness to go around on this one. It's sad that Pouncey would endanger his school's reputation and his teammates' accomplishments just so he could get an advance on his pro contract one month earlier (it's standard practice for agents to advance money after a player has concluded his eligibility but before a contract is inked). It's sad that the agent in question probably knew what he was doing would run afoul of the NCAA and the state of Florida, but didn't really care. In fairness, not all sports agents are Scott Boras, just like all lawyers are not Johnny Cochran. Some of them are chasing 6'4, 300 pound ambulances just to make the payments on that 2002 Mercedes.
Finally, it's sad that someone gave Pouncey that much money and he apparently spent it on tattoos, a Ford Fusion, and a giant replica silver dollar from Spencer Gifts.