When it came to LSU and the Odell Beckham Jr. cash situation that popped up, this was the next logical step.
Ahead of his alma mater’s College Football Playoff championship game appearance against Clemson, Beckham sent members of the LSU team new Beats headphones as well as a motivational message. That did not constitute an NCAA violation.
Following a resounding LSU win over Clemson that earned the football program it’s first national championship since 2007, Odell Beckham was seen on video gleefully handing out wads of what appeared to be cash to at least two LSU football players. That would constitute an NCAA violation.
In the fallout from Beckham’s stunt, the university claimed it was novelty money being passed about.
“It was a joke,” LSU associate athletic director Robert Munson said Tuesday. “The bills were fake bills.”
A day after that claim, however, Scott Gleeson of USA Today wrote that “LSU was investigating to see if all the bills were indeed fake and planned to interview both players.” For what it’s worth, Joe Burrow answered the following when asked on a podcast if he was given cash by Beckham:
“Umm… yeah. I’m not a student-athlete anymore, so I can say yeah.”
The first player shown in the aforementioned video -- the Twitter account to which the video was posted has been switched to private -- is Justin Jefferson, a junior wide receiver expected by some to leave LSU early for the 2020 NFL Draft. The second on the receiving end of a proverbial “$100 handshake” is Jontre Kirklin, a junior wide receiver who is expected to return to the Tigers in 2020.
If the money turned out to be real, it would impact the eligibility of any of the players who accepted it and are returning to school.