After LSU’s remarkable National Championship victory over Clemson on Monday night, former New York Giants wide receiver and LSU alum, Odell Beckham Jr., was spotted on the field handing out wads to cash to Tigers players during the celebration.
Someone please correct me if I am wrong, but isnβt that a violation of NCAA rules? #LSU #OBJ pic.twitter.com/8ReKgdglDN
— πππππππ πππππππ | πππ (@TheMaj_NFL) January 14, 2020
Almost immediately, images of Beckham handing hundred dollar bills to NCAA players sparked an outcry, which LSU associate athletic director Robert Munson attempted coral by claiming the bills were fake (not necessarily counterfeit).
“It was a joke,” LSU associate athletic director Robert Munson told reporters Tuesday. “The bills were fake bills.”
As it turns out however, neither LSU nor Munson are completely sure about the authenticity of the money and are now launching an investigation into Beckham and wide receivers Justin Jefferson and Jontre Kirklin, who were seen accepting the money from OBJ.
Munson, however, added later Tuesday that LSU was investigating to see if all the bills were indeed fake and planned to interview both players.
Neither player has declared for the NFL draft and thus remain NCAA athletes. The NCAA prohibits collegiate players from being compensated or receiving impermissible benefits outside of Division I scholarship parameters.
Beckham had previously sent every LSU player a pair of Beats Studio 3 wireless headphones, but that had been cleared by the NCAA, which allows for gifts of up to $550 to be given to players competing in championship games by “the management of the event or from the participating member institution.”
Anything additional — particularly cash in hand — is a clear violation of NCAA rules and could lead to a world of trouble for both Beckham and LSU.
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