Could Andre Smith‘s suspension from the Sugar Bowl actually strengthen his draft stock? Improper dealings with an agent really does not speak much of an athlete’s character. It definitely reflects poorly on the agent who should know better than to confront a potential client before the college season is over, but it is not like Andre Smith spit on a girl in a nightclub or was carrying around a firearm and shot himself in the leg. If the suspension does not reflect poorly on Smith’s character, might it have made a stronger case that he should be the #1 overall pick? Alabama’s offense looked real weak against Utah in the Sugar Bowl. I assume that many more holes would have been opened for the Crimson Tide runningbacks if Smith were in the game. Might Smith’s absence be a big reason why Alabama lost? Does that make NFL teams value him even more now?
Anyway, the University of Alabama has begun an internal investigation into what actually happened and what agent is behind the recruiting effort. Remember, we are dealing with the state of Alabama, which means that someone is bound to be held accountable and ultimately punished. If the university takes no action, you better believe that the Attorney General’s office will do something about it.
“The attorney general’s office has been active in prosecuting sports agent violations,” [Attorney General’s office spokesman Chris] Bence said. “It’s a felony. That’s a serious law.”
5 replies on “The Aftermath Of The Andre Smith Suspension”
Should the agent be civilly liable if Smith is drafted anywhere below #2? But for his negligence, Smith stood to make more money. That said, I think you’re right that most if not all GM’s will (correctly) looks beyond this relatively minor and insignificant episode.
Will the agent actually get prison time? Will he just be fined and stripped of his license to do business in Alabama? Very interested in knowing the answer to these two questions.
First we have to find out exactly who the agent was. Anybody believe this story? http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2009/01/andre_smiths_lawyer_no_contact.html
I think it is very debatable about whether this shows a lack of character on Smith’s part. What it definitely does show is a complete lack of judgment showed by some college athletes. Andre Smith has no doubt been educated about the rules of engagement with agents by the compliance department at the University of Alabama, and by his junior year, he should know how to act. Without all the facts, it’s hard to really comment on the situation, but I do know that whatever Smith did led to his suspension and could have been avoided. I also would say that this violation probably won’t negatively impact Smith’s status as a NFL prospect too much, but it shows a lack of regard for complying with rules, which may turn off some NFL scouts and hurt his draft stock a little. In any case, we need to do a better job in educating athletes about the consequences of improper dealings with agents, especially around this time of year.
And it takes two to tengo…the unknown agent isn’t the only one who is culpable.
[…] against the Utah Utes in the 2009 Sugar Bowl, I thought that Alabama’s poor performance might actually have a beneficial effect on Andre Smith’s draft stock. Alabama’s offense could not move, which Smith’s […]