Burney's father: Trip with Hawkins sidelined UNC CB

Tyrone Burney said former UNC player Chris Hawkins is the reason his son got suspended for six games by the NCAA.

Burney said his son took trips to Atlanta and Las Vegas with Hawkins, who the NCAA defined as a sports agent after he purchased Georgia wide receiver A.J. Green’s Independence Bowl jersey for $1,000. Green is serving a four-game NCAA suspension.

Burney, a starting cornerback, met Hawkins through Willie Parker, about five years ago, Tyrone Burney said.

"I didn't know the NCAA considered Hawk an agent-slash-runner," Tyrone Burney said Wednesday night. "If I did, I would have put my foot down with Kendric before any of this happened."

Hawkins said tonight that he is not an agent and did not pay Burney's expenses on the trips. He called the suspension "totally wrong."

"There’s no proof or anything that I paid for them because I didn’t pay for any of their stuff," Hawkins said. "I don’t understand why they would hit the kid so hard for taking a trip to Atlanta and Vegas."

Burney said he paid for the airfare for his son's trip to Las Vegas and other traveling expenses for the trips to Vegas and Atlanta. The amount the NCAA said Kendric Burney has to pay back, his father said, was for a hotel room in Vegas, a hotel room in Atlanta and for gas expenses to Atlanta.

"Money wasn't the issue," Tyrone Burney said. "It seems they're holding him accountable for the friendship with Hawk."

Tyrone Burney said his son told him the trips were to have fun, not to meet with potential agents. He said his son knew about the Memorial Day trip to Miami which cost Alabama's Marcel Dareus two games, and was attended by UNC's Marvin Austin and Greg Little, but knew there would be agents there.

"That's exactly the type of thing he was trying to avoid," Burney said. "That's the reason he did not go on the Miami trip because he heard what was going on there."

While Tyrone Burney said he thought the six-game suspension was too long, he said he was relieved that his son had heard from the NCAA.

"I think half the season is too much but now I can sleep a little at least knowing what's what," Burney said.

UNC has said it will appeal the suspensions.

Hawkins, who played for UNC from 2001 to 2003, has said he has met current Tar Heels players while working out in the school’s weight room. He was charged with felony cocaine trafficking and misdemeanor marijuana possession on April 23, 2009, according to a Georgia State Patrol incident report.

According to a news release Wednesday, Burney and safety Deunta Williams (who was suspended for four games) were declared ineligible for violations of NCAA agent benefits and preferential treatment rules.

According to the facts of the case submitted by the university, these benefits in part included trips to California, Atlanta and Las Vegas for Burney and two trips to California for Williams. The majority of the benefits Burney received were from an individual who meets the NCAA definition of an agent. According to NCAA rules, an agent is any individual who markets or promotes a student-athlete. The majority of Williams’ benefits were preferential treatment violations associated with visiting a former North Carolina football student-athlete.

Athletics director Dick Baddour said Wednesday both players traveled to California to visit a former UNC defensive back. They paid for their travel, Baddour said. But the NCAA ruled that there were expenses they were still responsible for.

J.P. Giglio, Robbi Pickeral and Ken Tysiac