Kansas City Chiefs rookie quarterback Aaron Murray took aim at the NCAA rules that have Georgia star running back Todd Gurley sidelined with an indefinite suspension on Saturday. Alleged to have accepted money for autographed memorabilia, as Johnny Manziel was a year ago, Gurley could miss anywhere from 2-3 games to the remainder of the season, based on various media reports.
NCAA student-athletes are not permitted to profit from their names and likenesses, and doing so can jeopardize their playing eligibility.
"It's tough," Murray said, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "The system sucks. That's all there is to it. We don't get the opportunity to get a job or go to work to earn money while the university is making all this money on us. All players feel like something must be done."
These are times of reform for the NCAA, and increased financial assistance for scholarship athletes is among the primary topics, though that assistance doesn't necessarily have to manifest itself in the name-and-likeness realm. Increasing the value of a scholarship to the full cost of attendance is another reform with some institutional support, one which would benefit every student-athlete and not just the ones whose autographs carry monetary value. NCAA rules allow athletes to profit from autographs after their eligibility has expired, something Murray said he took advantage of.
"I made good money," Murray said. "It was nice. It's America, you know. At the end of the day, you're your own corporation. We're Murray, Inc., Gurley, Inc. You should be able to capitalize on your own name."
Like Murray, Manziel has expressed support for Gurley, as well.
Murray, of course, combined with Gurley to make one for one of the SEC's most potent offenses in 2012 and 2013. Murray was in Columbia, Mo., Saturday to support the Bulldogs in their game at Missouri.
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