Todd Gurley Could Follow A.J. Green’s Path to NFL Stardom

Oct 4, 2014; Athens, GA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs running back Todd Gurley (3) runs against Vanderbilt Commodores defensive back Torren McGaster (5) during the second half at Sanford Stadium. Georgia defeated Vanderbilt 44-17. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Two days after being suspended form the Georgia Bulldogs football program for allegedly violating NCAA rules, running back Todd Gurley has retained a high-profile attorney to represent him, according to Dan Wolken at USA Today Sports. It’s widely suspected that the violation involves memorabilia sales, which would put Gurley in the company of several formerly suspended college players who went on to NFL stardom, including Cincinnati Bengals and former Bulldogs wide receiver A.J. Green.  

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In September of 2010, Green was suspended for four games after it was revealed he sold his jersey from the previous year’s Liberty Bowl to a player on another team.   Nevertheless, Green was selected by the Bengals with the number-4 overall pick in the 2011 draft and never looked back on his path to becoming a superstar in the NFL.

While the indefinite suspension handed down to Gurley this week will almost certainly knock his name off the leader board in the Heisman Trophy race, most pundits still have him as the top running back in college and see little change in his status as a potential top-10 pick next spring — if he declares.

For now, Gurley has lawyered up with William King, who represented both Cam Newton and Johnny Manziel when they faced similar issues.

In all, it looks like Gurley may lose some hardware in the short term but should be just fine in the long run.