Five Southeastern Conference football players, including former Mississippi State University standouts Chad Bumphis and Fletcher Cox, allegedly received impermissible benefits while attending their respective universities, a Yahoo Sports report said Wednesday.
The site reported Bumphis and Cox were tied to a list of financial and text records belonging to former Alabama Crimson Tide defensive end Luther Davis. The records were given to Yahoo Sports by a source with connection to the NFL agent community who alleged Davis acted as an intermediary between multiple college football standouts and NFL agents and financial advisers.
Davis’ records included receipts of airline tickets from Birmingham, Ala., to Fort Lauderdale, Fla., worth over $1,200 that were issued to Bumphis, Cox and former defensive back Johnthan Banks. The tickets were booked on Dec. 23, 2011, for travel plans that took place Jan. 3-6, 2012, after MSU’s Music City Bowl game on Dec. 30, 2011, Yahoo Sports reported.
According to the website, only Bumphis and Cox, whose baggage receipts were also found in the report, took the flights. Cox declared for the NFL draft on Jan. 3, and the trip came after his final game at MSU.
MSU released a statement Wednesday regarding the report and stated the university advises athletes in agent-related matters.
“Mississippi State constantly educates our student athletes about agent-related issues,” MSU told Yahoo Sports in a statement. “We’ve also worked closely with the Mississippi Secretary of State’s office in recent years to strengthen the Mississippi Uniform Agent Act. As always, we will do our due diligence to evaluate any potential concerns.”
The report comes after MSU began its self-imposed two-year probation in June following an investigation of a recruit accepted benefits from a booster.
The report also cited former Alabama offensive lineman D.J. Fluker, former Tennessee quarterback Tyler Bray and current Tennessee defensive lineman Maurice Couch. Fluker, Bray and Couch allegedly accepted cash, hotel accommodations, furniture, airline flights and other expenses, according to the report.
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Two former Bulldogs tied to Yahoo report
John Galatas
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September 13, 2013
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