Report: Clowney linked to Jay-Z's sports agency
FOX SPORTS SOUTH STAFF |
Published: Tuesday, July 23, 2013, 2:53pm
At last week's SEC Media Days, Jadeveon Clowney bore the look of a burgeoning All-Pro who should be prepping for NFL training camp -- not his junior year at South Carolina.
But in some respects, he's just a 20-year-old kid, prone to making college-age mistakes -- especially ones that might hurt his amateur standing.
According to the Web site Inside The League, Clowney has maintained regular contact with rap star/media mogul Jay-Z, who made the successful-but-controversial transition to sports agent this spring, under the Roc Nation umbrella.
(Kevin Durant, Robinson Cano and New York Jets rookie QB Geno Smith have already signed on as Roc Nation clients.)
At this time, it's hard to quantify or document the extent of the reported relationship between Jay-Z and Clowney -- the early consensus No. 1 pick in next year's NFL draft -- but this now-public matter may be a big deal within SEC circles, most notably the Gamecocks' compliance office.
During the 2011-12 school year, the Division I Legislative Council expanded the definition of "agent," including family members, financial advisors, certified contract advisors, brand managers, marketing representatives or any other third-party liaisons who negotiate or broker deals on a college athlete's behalf -- regarding potential earnings -- before he/she turns professional.
Clowney, a preseason All-SEC selection, is already a household name in the sports landscape, thanks to a high-profile recruiting process with South Carolina (2011) and a crushing tackle/fumble recovery in the Gamecocks' Outback Bowl victory over Michigan in January.
