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Why A.J. Green, And Who Was The Agent?

It cannot just be me who thinks that something is being hidden in this entire A.J. Green situation.  Admittedly, as much as I have gleaned over the past few months regarding student-athletes, agents, runners, and even coaches all in bed with each other, people kept asking me if I had heard anything about Green, and my answer was no.  Yet, everyone was searching for dirt on the Georgia Bulldog.

Then yesterday, word broke that Green will be ineligible for an additional 3 games (on top of the 1 game he already sat out) because he sold a game jersey to an individual who meets the organization’s definition of an agent.  Why even say that the person meets the organization’s definition of an agent instead of calling the person an agent, point blank?  And with so much out there across the country to investigate, could there really have been such a large focus on A.J. Green because he sold a jersey to an agent?

Either way, this “agent” should be concerned if he is not registered in the State of Georgia.  University of Georgia’s official athletic website provides the following:

GEORGIA STATE LAWS

Agents must register with the State Regulatory Commission and are required to post a surety bond of $10,000. No athlete agent may contact an athlete, either directly or indirectly, or otherwise engage in or carry on the occupation of an athlete agent without first registering with the commission.

The state’s athlete agent law, recently revised in 2003, expanded the power of a university to bring civil action against athlete agents in the event their actions cause the institution to be brought before a governing body and penalized. It also provides for civil action against enrolled student-athletes should their actions cause the institution to be brought before a governing body and penalized.

Penalties for violating state laws are felonies incurring fines no less than $5,000 and no more than $100,000 or by imprisonment from 1 to 5 years, or both.

By Darren Heitner

Darren Adam Heitner, Esq., is a preeminent sports attorney and the founder of Heitner Legal, P.L.L.C., a Fort Lauderdale-based law firm specializing in sports law, contract negotiations, intellectual property, and arbitration. He earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Florida Levin College of Law in 2010 and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, magna cum laude, from the University of Florida in 2007, where he was named Valedictorian of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Admitted to practice in the state bars of Florida, New York, and the District of Columbia, as well as multiple federal courts, Darren also serves as a certified arbitrator with the American Arbitration Association.

As an adjunct professor, Darren imparts his expertise through teaching Sports Law at the University of Florida Levin College of Law and Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) at the University of Miami School of Law in the Entertainment, Arts, and Sports Law LL.M. program. His scholarly contributions include authoring several books published by the American Bar Association, such as How to Play the Game: What Every Sports Attorney Needs to Know, and numerous articles in prominent publications like Forbes, Inc. Magazine, and Above the Law. His thought leadership in NIL has earned him recognition as one of the foremost experts by The Wall Street Journal, USA TODAY, and On3, and he has been lauded as a “power player in NIL deals” by Action Network and a “top sports trademark attorney” by Sportico.

Darren’s passion for sports law led him to establish Sports Agent Blog on December 31, 2005, initially titled “I Want To Be A Sports Agent.” The platform, created as a New Year’s resolution, has grown into a cornerstone of the sports agency community, offering in-depth analysis of industry trends, legal disputes, and agent-player dynamics. His commitment to the field is further evidenced by his representation of numerous athletes and sports agents, as well as his prior role as an Adjunct Professor at Indiana University Bloomington, where he developed and taught a course on Sport Agency Management from 2011 to 2014.

Darren’s contributions have been recognized with prestigious honors, including the University of Florida’s 40 Under 40 Award, the University of Florida Levin College of Law’s Outstanding Young Alumnus Award, and designation as the best lawyer in Fort Lauderdale by Fort Lauderdale Magazine. He remains an active voice in the sports law community, sharing insights through his weekly NIL newsletter and his X posts, engaging a broad audience on legal developments in sports.

One reply on “Why A.J. Green, And Who Was The Agent?”

Obviously the whole story isn’t being told? Why would the University of Georgia’s athletic personnel want the story out in the open for ESPN to twist and turn like it does so well. However to the other question their isn’t a clear definition of what a sports agent is is their? The guy could have been just an NFL fan who wanted the attention of AJ Green, perhaps a lawyer? Would being a contract lawyer give the committee the grounds to say he could be an agent? I think that the penalty was handed down not because of the nature of the crime but because they needed to show that they are buckeling down on athletes. Selling a jersey may not be that big of a deal but it gives the NCAA some breathing room from coaches who say they aren’t investigating hard enough. We really should find out who this agent was however and what he faces as a consequence.

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