D.J. Fluker and 4 Other SEC Football Players Received Illegal Benefits While in College: Yahoo Report
ByJust after Sports Illustrated began releasing its five-part investigative report on Oklahoma State, Yahoo Sports has reported that five football players from the SEC conference took illegal benefits.
Once again, at the center of the breaking story is Charles Robinson, the same Yahoo reported who broke the University of Miami scandal. Robinson and Rand Gettlin reported that an investigation turned up documents proving D.J. Fluker, Tyler Bray, Maurice Couch, Fletcher Cox and Chad Bumphis received illegal benefits before finishing their collegiate careers.
Fluker, formerly an offensive tackle for the University of Alabama, Tyler Bray, formerly a quarterback for the University of Tennessee and Cox, formerly a defensive tackle for Mississippi State University, are all currently on NFL rosters. The Miami Dolphins recently released Bumphis, formerly a wide receiver for Mississippi State, and Couch is currently a senior at Tennessee and is starting defensive end.
The financial documents and text messages obtained by Yahoo apparently belonged to former Alabama defensive end Luther Davis and showed correspondence with the five players. Davis appeared to be going in between the players and NFL agents to give the players benefits. He did not comment to Yahoo.
Yahoo said they received the text messages, Western Union fund transfers, banking statements, flight receipts and other financial documents from sources close the NFL agents. Yahoo authenticated the records and revealed the agents to be Andy Simms, Peter Schaffer and John Phillips and three financial advisers: Jason Jernigan, Mike Rowan and Hodge Brahmbhatt.
Simms, Schaffer, Phillips and Rowan all confirmed they had given money to Daivs, but said they did not know it was going to be used to benefit college athletes. Records show Davis was given a total of $45,550 between Sept. 2011 and Dec. 2012, which was then dispersed to the five players.
Similar to the case of the University of Southern California and Reggie Bush, schools and players can be punished for accepting benefits during their collegiate career, even after the player has left the program. Bush lost his Heisman Trophy and Fluker could potentially lose his All-American honor at offensive tackle during his team's National Championship season in 2012.
Tennessee and Mississippi State can also face serious consequences, as they were on probation until 2015 for previous rule breaking.