South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney will be represented by agent Bus Cook, whose agency, BC Sports, also has handled contracts for some of the biggest names in the sport: Brett Favre, Cam Newton, Calvin Johnson and others.
Clowney reportedly picked Cook over Jay-Z's Roc Nation Sports, but the reasons are unclear. In July, College Football 24/7 reported that South Carolina was investigating whether Clowney had made contact with the rap mogul's burgeoning sports agency, which would have constituted an NCAA violation. The school eventually found no wrongdoing.
Cook called his newest client "iconic," according to postandcourier.com, and was glad to see Clowney, who at the time had just declared his intention of leaving school early for the NFL, take time to sign some autographs for kids as he left Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium.
"He just had that big, friendly smile, signing autographs for all those kids and stuff," Cook said. "To me, that was important. He didn't act like he was too good or too big to give those kids his time. That's what impressed me."
That, and the cut he'll receive from Clowney's first NFL contract.
Cook confirmed what Clowney had said earlier in the day, that he plans to put off surgery to remove bone spurs in his right foot. With the NFL Scouting Combine coming in late February, Clowney will instead wait until after the annual event to consider whether to surgically deal with spurs that hampered him throughout the season. Cook also said he doesn't think the two speeding tickets Clowney has received in the last month, for driving 110 mph and 84 mph in 70- and 55-mph zones, respectively, will be an issue for NFL clubs.
"If it is, then they're focused on the wrong things," Cook said. "If a speeding ticket is all a kid can have, woe to those who have more. So I don't see that being an issue at all. I think he's learned his lesson."
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