A&M retains law firm that represented Auburn and Cam Newton to help Manziel

[joeybee12]

Kevin Sumlin wouldn’t comment extensively on it Monday, but Texas A&M is lawyering up as allegations that quarterback Johnny Manziel received money for signing memorabilia have surfaced over the past day.

A&M confirmed to the USA Today a previous report by the publication that the school has retained the services of Birmingham law firm Lightfoot, Franklin and White as legal counsel. If the name sounds familiar, it’s because it’s the same firm that represented Auburn in 2010 when former quarterback (and eventual Heisman Trophy winner) Cam Newton had his eligibility come into question.

There are some minor similarities between the two cases, but more differences. Whereas Newton’s father, Cecil, faced allegations of essentially shopping his son’s playing services to Mississippi State, Manziel is directly accused by a report from “Outside the Lines” of signing memorabilia for money while he was in Miami this past January to attend the BCS championship game.

Where Manziel’s situation could more closely resemble Newton’s case is an additional report from ESPN that was published Monday claiming Manziel’s friend and personal assistant told an autograph broker that the redshirt sophomore would not sign autographs going forward without compensation. In fact, that would appear to violate the Cam Newton rule passed by the NCAA that extends the agent label to other individuals close to an athlete, such as family or friends.

http://collegefootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/08/05/am-retains-law-firm-that-represented-cam-newton-to-help-manziel/related/

Posted without comment, but boy, do I wanna comment!!!

[d_r]

1. isn't it just amazing

that a quarterback for a team beats alabama and before they have to play him again all of a sudden there are ncaa allegations. That were supposed to have been witnessed at the bcs bowl game last year, let's see who was playing? And after there has been photographs of alabama players signing autographs for sell at t-town menswear all over the internet for years, a witness sees this and the ncaa investigates. Isn't it funny that this is so much like the smear campaign that was set up against cam newton. I wonder who could possibly be behind this? Who could possibly be targeting qbs playing against alabama? What could there possibly be to gain in such shenanigans? Oh wait, what was there about the ohio state and autographs?


And why is Alabama Alum and attorney John Phillips trying to sell pictures of this to the media? Let me think, where have we heard of John Phillips before? Oh yeah, he was the guy who had edited tapes of then assistant Auburn Coach Malzahn wife that he fleeced the internet with as part of that whole cam newton thing.

Simply fascinating.

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