Ex-Texas QB Chris Simms: I took '$100 handshakes' from boosters

[milesl]

http://www.si.com/college-football/2015/06/19/texas-chris-simms-took-money-boosters

Former Texas quarterback Chris Simms says he took "$100 handshakes" from boosters for signing autographs while playing at the school.

Simms, the son of former New York Giants quarterback Phil Simms, played for Texas from 1999-2002 and was an All-Big 12 selection in his final two seasons.

He said on CBS Sports Radio that, despite being the son of an NFL quarterback, he received extra funds regularly. He says that other players did as well.

“They didn’t pay me, but there may have been cash going around to some other players,” Simms said. “I’m not going to deny that. I may have gotten a few $100 handshakes every now and then to sign some autographs for alumni.

“I don’t care how rich your upbringing was. Yes, I grew up with a silver spoon, but if you give me a few extra $100 as a college kid, that’s great."

Simms, 34, was selected in the third round of the 2003 NFL draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and spent parts of five seasons in the NFL. He last played for the Denver Broncos in 2009.

[IslandSooner]

I suspect this happens at most schools, and often for some.

[badger]

SB Nation's confessions of an SEC bagman kind of delved into it:
http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2014/4/10/5594348/college-football-bag-man-interview


"I had this one kid, great player, good guy. Never got in trouble, but never did much on the field. But he's calling me all the time. 'Hey, the sunroof in my car is leaking,' he says, so I tell him to come meet me. $150. Two days later it's: 'Hey, I'm going out this weekend with a girl, can you help me?' $200. Next week after that he's got $300 in parking tickets. So one day I go to meet him to give him money and I ask, "Hey man, aren't you a business major? Have y'all learned what ROI means yet? It means return on investment, and at this rate I'm going to need to start seeing some touchdowns.'"

Texas has their big money guys -- the ones with names on buildings like Joe Jamail or Red McCombs, but they likely have a hundred of these little bagmen types that stay in the loop by meeting with players on campus similar to the story above.

They're really not getting any ROI lately, are they?

The cost of attendance change is really a big step to deterring the underground cash payments... but as Chrissy suggested, you can have rich and poor athletes alike who will never stop having their hand out for more, regardless of whether their CBS commentator daddy ships them around campus in a limo or not.

Bagmen, if everyone truly does this sort of thing, aren't you wasting your money?

[TAFBSooner]

SB Nation's confessions of an SEC bagman kind of delved into it:
http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2014/4/10/5594348/college-football-bag-man-interview



Texas has their big money guys -- the ones with names on buildings like Joe Jamail or Red McCombs, but they likely have a hundred of these little bagmen types that stay in the loop by meeting with players on campus similar to the story above.

They're really not getting any ROI lately, are they?

The cost of attendance change is really a big step to deterring the underground cash payments... but as Chrissy suggested, you can have rich and poor athletes alike who will never stop having their hand out for more, regardless of whether their CBS commentator daddy ships them around campus in a limo or not.

Bagmen, if everyone truly does this sort of thing, aren't you wasting your money?

but . . . but . . . all the bad guys are doing it, so we have to "keep up."