Chris Simms says he got some '$100 handshakes' for autographs
Former Texas quarterback Chris Simms can't guarantee he didn't get paid for autographs while in college.
Simms was guest-hosting on CBS Sports' Tiki and Tierney on Wednesday and made the comment that he might have gotten a few "$100 handshakes" for signing things.
They didn’t pay me. There might have been some cash going around to other players, I’m not going to deny that," Simms said Wednesday. "I got some $100 handshakes every now and then for signing some autographs — you know for a big alumni, he might have a jersey, a bunch of jerseys he wants me to sign real quick. Sure, he’d give me a $100 handshake, that was the best.
"I don’t car how rich your upbringing was. Yes I grew up with a silver spoon, big deal. You give me a few extra hundred bucks as a college kid, that’s great"
Simms' father is former NFL quarterback and current CBS NFL broadcaster Phil Simms. Chris played quarterback at Texas from 1999-2002. He threw for over 7,000 yards and 58 touchdowns in his career with the Longhorns.
His comments are pertinent, of course, because of the controversy that surrounded former Georgia running back Todd Gurley. Gurley was ruled ineligible for part of the 2014 season after Georgia discovered that he had been compensated for his autograph. It's against NCAA rules for players to get paid for their signature.
In Gurley's first game back from the suspension he suffered a season-ending knee injury. He's now a member of the St. Louis Rams after he was chosed in the first round of the 2015 NFL draft. Georgia's governor signed a bill earlier this year that makes it a crime to tempt athletes with money to break NCAA rules.
Simms' comments aren't exactly shocking, either. SIde benefits in the form of "handshakes" have been around for a long time. And we don't think they're going to disappear in Georgia just because there's a law preventing it.
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Nick Bromberg is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
