CHAPEL HILL - University of North Carolina athletic director Dick Baddour said Thursday the school needs to do a better job monitoring which former football players interact with current team members.
Chris Hawkins, who played for UNC from 2001 to 2003 and said he has met current Tar Heels players while working out in the school's weight room, was charged with felony cocaine trafficking and misdemeanor marijuana possession on April 23, 2009, according to a Georgia State Patrol incident report.
Hawkins is involved with the ongoing investigation at UNC, said Baddour, who declined to discuss Hawkins' relationship with current North Carolina football players.
"We want former players to come back and be around, for all of our programs," Baddour said. "Clearly, we're going to have to go deeper and determine the motivation of some former players."
The NCAA defined Hawkins 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.
Hawkins said last week that the NCAA interviewed him after learning he was helping UNC players "vet" potential agents. Hawkins said he is not an agent.
North Carolina's football program has been under investigation by the NCAA since mid-July, in part because of possible improprieties involving sports agents.
According to the Georgia State Patrol report, Hawkins was pulled over on I-20 for not wearing his seat belt while driving a U-Haul truck rented by former North Carolina running back Willie Parker. Hawkins has said he manages the business dealings of Parker, who won two Super Bowls with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Police found 96 grams (about two ounces) of crack cocaine wrapped in duct tape, peanut butter and black pepper between two pieces of furniture Hawkins was transporting, according to the report. Six grams of marijuana were found in Hawkins' pocket, the report said.
Page Pate, Hawkins' Atlanta-based lawyer, said Hawkins was transporting furniture from Miami to North Carolina for Parker. Hawkins has consistently said he didn't know there was cocaine in the truck, Pate said.
Hawkins has an Oct. 18 date in Morgan County Court, according to Pate. Peter Schaffer, a Denver-based agent, has said a North Carolina player asked him to talk to Hawkins, and Schaffer complied with the request.
Archived records of Tar Heels cornerback Kendric Burney's Twitter account show that Burney traveled to Atlanta and Las Vegas with Hawkins, and that fellow cornerback Charles Brown joined them on the Atlanta trip. Hawkins said the players paid for the trips on their own.
UNC coach Butch Davis said Thursday he has no "understanding" of Hawkins' relationship with current players. Davis also said he does not know how much time Hawkins' spends at the team's facility.
"He's no longer in our facility," Davis said.
Hawkins was dismissed from North Carolina's team in April of 2004 for an unspecified violation of team rules. Hawkins has said he has accompanied Parker to the Tar Heels' weight room and has met members of the current team.
Tax records show that Parker owns the house at the Durham address listed for Hawkins on the police report.
Ken Tysiac
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Hawkins' charges adds to scrutiny of Heels
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12 comments:
How does it add scrutiny? Seriously. You guys are reaching now. UNC kicked him out of school, he played at another university since. He's been gone 8 years. Your witch hunt at the N&O and Observer is laughable. This arrest happened over a year ago. You act like it happened last week.
Its time to let it go guys. I'm ready for this to be over just so you'll shut up about it. What will you guys write about after all this is over? UNC will survive and be here long after you and I.
Anon8:39 is another UNC fan with his head in the sand who has probably been in stressful denial mode the past 2 and a half months, convincing himself that "everything will be ok." Are you more of a Public Ivy/The Carolina Way kind of guy, or are you more of a "all schools cheat" kind of guy? I love the mindset of UNC fans right now.
The fact is, a former UNC football player, who works for the NCAA, tried to buy AJ Green's jersey for $1000, and spoke with the recently-dismissed-from-the-Gamecocks Weslye Saunders, which is a conflict of interest since he played for the exact same football program that the NCAA is investigating, just got arrested for selling cocaine.
I wonder if he's Lawrence Taylor's supplier. Maybe vice versa.
^where did I say "everything will be ok?". I said UNC WILL SURVIVE. Just like any other schools. They'll take what they get and move on. (if the NCAA ever decides to let us)
Just no "new" news to report. Getting tired of recycled news. That's all the N&O and Observer have done lately. Nothing new has come forward since day 1 of this mess. Some poor journalism taking place and previously respected writers, losing allot of credibility.
Whatever happens, happens. As a Tar Heel fan, I'm just ready to move on and actually talk about football, on the field.
"The fact is, a former UNC football player, who works for the NCAA ..."
LOL, works for the NCAA?!?! That is hilarious. Learn to read if you're going to preface your statements with "the fact is."
I don't see how this impacts UNC or the investigation. This is certainly a stretch, especially given the arrest happened more than a year ago.
"LOL, works for the NCAA?!?! "
Yeah, welcome to 2 months ago, this is ancient news, where have you been?
How does it add scrutiny? You think its OK for a former player who left on bad terms, was caught with crack, and is a runner for agents to hang out at UNC facilities? You've got to be kidding me.
Just adds to the list...
Butch Davis doesn't know that Associate Head Coach John Blake worked for an agent (not to mention all the other shady stuff he was doing)?
Butch Davis doesn't know his nanny is writing his player's papers and doing their assignments to keep them eligible?
Butch Davis doesn't know that Hawkins is hanging out at the UNC facility? Working out with Parker? Congregating with UNC players? Is a runner for agents?
For a Head Coach, doesn't seem like Butch Davis has a clue.
Hawkins does not work for the NCAA. You are confusing him with Marcus Wilson.
Anon @ 11:20 hits the nail on the head. Butch can be in denial mode all he wants, but if he keeps playing this angle, someone (media, i'm looking at YOU) has to question at some point what DOES he know? Isn't the head coach supposed to be in control of the team? Or at the very least know that some of this happened?
Either he is a clueless coach, or he knowingly let this happen under his watch and is lying through he teeth.
Head Coach who doesn't know anything about anything. BD's defense is what is getting old guys. The media writes an article on each piece. There's just a new piece of evidence each week. That evidence lends credit to a program that is out of control with limited oversight. BD is the head coach, not the water girl. He SHOULD know and HAS TO KNOW as it is his job to know.
Is ANYONE in charge over at UNC? This in an OUTRAGE!!!
The reason it's news is because Hawkins was allwoed full access to UNC training facilities thsi summer. An "agent" (according to NCAA) and a drug traffiker were given full run of the facilities and access to all UNC football players. THAT IS NEWS! And not good news either.
Speaking of which, Marvin Austin is testifying today....
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