John Blake under investigation at UNC

[Blackshirt316]

“I spoke to him once,” Wichard said. “I told him to go back to school when Kentwan Balmer put him on the phone in January. I said go back to school and be [like] Ndamukong Suh and make some money. … I’m not even recruiting the kid. I’ve never said one word to him about the business other than football – go back to school. Now, if I wanted to represent him in January, I could have said ‘Come on out, guy. Let’s roll. Let’s make some money.’ That’s not who I am.”

How could he have told Brandon Jackson to go back to school and be [like] Ndamakong Suh when Suh was still just an unheralded sophomore in 2007 when Jackson went pro?

 

[zoogs]

In that passage, he's talking about North Carolina tackle Marvin Austin.

 

[Foppa]

Unless there's more to it than this, this sounds like a lot of nothing about nothing.

 

[knapplc]

• Nebraska running back Brandon Jackson. Blake never coached Jackson directly, handling Nebraska’s defensive line from 2004-2006. Jackson signed with Wichard after Blake’s final season with the Cornhuskers and was a second-round pick in 2007.

“I spoke to him once,” Wichard said. “I told him to go back to school when Kentwan Balmer put him on the phone in January. I said go back to school and be [like] Ndamukong Suh and make some money. … I’m not even recruiting the kid. I’ve never said one word to him about the business other than football – go back to school. Now, if I wanted to represent him in January, I could have said ‘Come on out, guy. Let’s roll. Let’s make some money.’ That’s not who I am.”

What is the point of the second quote in this post? Why would you include it, when it has nothing to do with anything related to Nebraska or Brandon Jackson?

 

[BIGREDFAN_in_OMAHA]

uh oh...Blake had a rep as a shady recruiter when he was here

 

[Apathy]

• Nebraska running back Brandon Jackson. Blake never coached Jackson directly, handling Nebraska’s defensive line from 2004-2006. Jackson signed with Wichard after Blake’s final season with the Cornhuskers and was a second-round pick in 2007.

“I spoke to him once,” Wichard said. “I told him to go back to school when Kentwan Balmer put him on the phone in January. I said go back to school and be [like] Ndamukong Suh and make some money. … I’m not even recruiting the kid. I’ve never said one word to him about the business other than football – go back to school. Now, if I wanted to represent him in January, I could have said ‘Come on out, guy. Let’s roll. Let’s make some money.’ That’s not who I am.”

What is the point of the second quote in this post? Why would you include it, when it has nothing to do with anything related to Nebraska or Brandon Jackson?

If you read the story then you would understand why I did but I'll explain.

The gentleman who's making that comment above is a NFL agent who has a close connection/friendship with John Blake and he's under investigation with the NCAA along with John Blake. Wichard also signed Brandon Jackson the last year that John Blake was at Nebraska. Wichard is being investigated for giving extra benefits to college players (maybe to Brandon Jackson and/or Marvin Austin). Wichard is talking to Marvin Austin in the above quote about staying another year at North Carolina where the NCAA is investitgating whether Marvin was getting impermissable benefits from an agent (Wichard). It is also noted but not in the above link but Marvin Austin could be suspended for his whole senior season at North Carolina and BTW Marvin Austin is a defensive tackle who is coached by John Blake.

Wichard doesn't understand why he's being investigated by the NCAA and I thought that I would add that quote to show that Wichard is encouraging college players like Austin to attend another year of school and get a college diploma and quite possible get more money the following year. It's also nice that Ndamukong Suh is getting noticed for his huge decision to stay another year and to get his college degree and to earn more money. Suh's decision to stay another year and doing what he did could impact a lot of other players at the college level and I'm sure agents are encouraging this because if they make it big their senior year that means more money for the player and the agent.

I showed how Wichard is involved with Nebraska with his connection/friendship with Blake and that Wichard did sign Brandon Jackson. I also showed a little snip quote of Wichard encouraging a college athlete to stay in school for one more year to earn more money in the next years NFL draft.

This may be nothing or it could be something (I hope its nothing) but it is a strong indication that the NCAA means buisness and it doesn't matter what University you are, if you broke the rules the NCAA will come down hard on you. These investigations are serious and they are spreading like wildfire.

 

[HuskerfaninOkieland]

I think the point Knapp was trying to make was your OP seemed to indicate Suh could have been involved.

As for the idea Wichard was encouraging athletes to finish school...bullsh#t. He's just another greedy bastard agent who sees nothing but $$$ when it comes to some of these athletes. He's well aware that another year in school could find his potential customer injured to the point he's ineligible to play in the NFL costing him millions. Reading the article, IMO, Wichard is trying to cover his a$$ in a big way so any plausible deniability he can toss out there, the better his chances are of coming out of this squeaky clean.

 

[knapplc]

• Nebraska running back Brandon Jackson. Blake never coached Jackson directly, handling Nebraska’s defensive line from 2004-2006. Jackson signed with Wichard after Blake’s final season with the Cornhuskers and was a second-round pick in 2007.

“I spoke to him once,” Wichard said. “I told him to go back to school when Kentwan Balmer put him on the phone in January. I said go back to school and be [like] Ndamukong Suh and make some money. … I’m not even recruiting the kid. I’ve never said one word to him about the business other than football – go back to school. Now, if I wanted to represent him in January, I could have said ‘Come on out, guy. Let’s roll. Let’s make some money.’ That’s not who I am.”

What is the point of the second quote in this post? Why would you include it, when it has nothing to do with anything related to Nebraska or Brandon Jackson?

If you read the story then you would understand why I did but I'll explain.

I did read the story - that's how I knew that your quote had nothing to do with Nebraska or Nebraska players. You're drawing a paper-thin connection there. But whatever.

I think the point Knapp was trying to make was your OP seemed to indicate Suh could have been involved.

Suh/Brandon Jackson, but yes, exactly.

 

[Apathy]

I think the point Knapp was trying to make was your OP seemed to indicate Suh could have been involved.

As for the idea Wichard was encouraging athletes to finish school...bullsh#t. He's just another greedy bastard agent who sees nothing but $$$ when it comes to some of these athletes. He's well aware that another year in school could find his potential customer injured to the point he's ineligible to play in the NFL costing him millions. Reading the article, IMO, Wichard is trying to cover his a$$ in a big way so any plausible deniability he can toss out there, the better his chances are of coming out of this squeaky clean.

I think Suh's name was only brought up is because both Suh and Austin are defensive tackles and Suh's decision to stay another year in which it paid off in the long run....about $68 million w/ $40 million guaranteed.

As for your 2nd paragraph I could see it both ways but a couple extra million wouldn't hurt either if it meant for that player to stay another year and become a bigger star. If I was an agent knowing that I could get more money if it meant to have that player play one more year in college I would tell him to stay and tell him some other BS stuff to convince him to stay another year.

People will do some greedy stuff when it comes to money and making a extra thousand to a million here and there people will do just about anything.

 

[knapplc]

I see where the concern could be with Blake, but I think Nebraska is probably in the clear if any violations occurred here since we canned almost that whole staff. First off, we're really good at reporting ourselves, and if anything did happen, I'm 100% positive Osborne would have already reported it to the NCAA. If they dig something up that he didn't know about I'd be surprised, but I suppose it's possible.

 

[HuskerfaninOkieland]

I think the point Knapp was trying to make was your OP seemed to indicate Suh could have been involved.

As for the idea Wichard was encouraging athletes to finish school...bullsh#t. He's just another greedy bastard agent who sees nothing but $$$ when it comes to some of these athletes. He's well aware that another year in school could find his potential customer injured to the point he's ineligible to play in the NFL costing him millions. Reading the article, IMO, Wichard is trying to cover his a$$ in a big way so any plausible deniability he can toss out there, the better his chances are of coming out of this squeaky clean.

I think Suh's name was only brought up is because both Suh and Austin are defensive tackles and Suh's decision to stay another year in which it paid off in the long run....about $68 million w/ $40 million guaranteed.

As for your 2nd paragraph I could see it both ways but a couple extra million wouldn't hurt either if it meant for that player to stay another year and become a bigger star. If I was an agent knowing that I could get more money if it meant to have that player play one more year in college I would tell him to stay and tell him some other BS stuff to convince him to stay another year.

People will do some greedy stuff when it comes to money and making a extra thousand to a million here and there people will do just about anything.

I absolutely agree. Suh's additional year meant additional millions for him but it also could have meant the end of his playing career with one bad injury. Pro's and Con's to both sides really. I just wished agents would bug off at times. Too many agents and possibly assistant coaches, are making choices for some of these players that in all fairness probably are the right choices, but they're putting the player and the school at risk (case in point: USC)...if that makes sense. I forsee the NCAA starting to crack down on some of these agents pretty hard.

 

[cscott2win]

B Jack was listed as the #5 back at seasons beginning. I seriously doubt agents were beating down the door for his contract at the time. It was way into mid season before he even emerged (because Callahan was an idiot). Then he went pro. Probably no new house and car yet!

 

[HUSKER 37]

I see where the concern could be with Blake, but I think Nebraska is probably in the clear if any violations occurred here since we canned almost that whole staff. First off, we're really good at reporting ourselves, and if anything did happen, I'm 100% positive Osborne would have already reported it to the NCAA. If they dig something up that he didn't know about I'd be surprised, but I suppose it's possible.

Actually, the NCAA has a long history of punishing schools long after the guilty coaches or players are gone.

I'm curious, though...When a "gifted" player does stay in school for his Sr. season..many times they take out insurance policies against a career ending injury.

Who pays for it?

I'd imagine if it were anyone other than family, the player/school could get into trouble.

 

[knapplc]

Actually, the NCAA has a long history of punishing schools long after the guilty coaches or players are gone.

They also have a long history of turning a blind eye toward schools like Nebraska, the royalty of college football. They also recently put USC on probation and banned them from bowls. I think the NCAA's history and current state of affairs are pretty well tossed out the window at this point.

We'll just have to see what happens.

 

[zoogs]

B Jack was listed as the #5 back at seasons beginning. I seriously doubt agents were beating down the door for his contract at the time. It was way into mid season before he even emerged (because Callahan was an idiot). Then he went pro. Probably no new house and car yet!

I think it was more like #4.

To be clear it was more like the depth chart read #1 - Marlon Lucky / Cody Glenn, #2 - Kenny Wilson / Brandon Jackson.

He was coming back from injury as well. In any case that year we were supposed to have a 4-headed monster at tailback. We ran a committee for a while but he eventually emerged from the group and grabbed hold of the role.

These things happen though: players emerge and take the role. I don't understand why this is pinned on Callahan. We had 4 good backs, played them all and then found one who became the definitive starter and rode him through the rest of the year. What's so uncommon about that?