CORVALLIS, Ore. -- University of Southern California athletic department officials knew of 1st Round Enterprises and its NFLPA-certified CEO prior to the Thursday incident where freshman tailback
Dillon Baxter solicited a free golf cart ride from the company's cart onto USC's campus, USC officials confirmed Sunday.
Baxter was ruled ineligible Friday by USC, one day after he received the ride from 1st Round in what the school has determined to be a violation of NCAA rules concerning extra benefits. According to the school, USC vice president for athletic compliance David Roberts and senior associate athletic directors Mark Jackson and J.K. McKay met with the CEO and driver of the cart, Teague Egan, prior to Thursday and told him that a golf cart ride would be against NCAA rules.
"Approximately one week [before Baxter's golf cart ride], USC officials saw Egan in a golf cart on campus and met with him to inquire into his contacts with USC student-athletes," USC vice president for athletic compliance David Roberts told ESPNLosAngeles.com Sunday. "At that time, Egan was asked not to provide any transportation or other benefits to student-athletes."
Reached by phone Sunday evening, Egan refused to comment on the veracity of Roberts' statement but did say that the ride was his "mistake."
"I don't want to blow things over, so I want to talk to them again before I say anything," said Egan. "It's never too late to say something."
USC self-reported the infraction and also filed an official request with the NCAA for Baxter's reinstatement. As part of the request, USC put a nominal value on the golf cart ride that Baxter would have to repay, Roberts said.
"We're hoping that that this is going to be the end of it and the NCAA will understand that we acted proactively and quickly," Roberts said Saturday, speaking to reporters before USC's game against Oregon State at Reser Stadium. "Obviously we'll take further action in this coming week to make sure that there are no other contacts between these people and our players."
Egan, 22, is currently an undergraduate student at USC, according to official school records. His biography on the agency's website includes a claim that he has "befriended many athletes on the USC football team." 1st Round Enterprises is a student-run company that represents recording artists, promotes parties at local nightclubs in the Los Angeles area and lists itself as a provider of sports representation.
Egan and 1st Round are not believed to represent any professional athletes at this time. The agency's official site lists no clients, but Egan is registered as a contract advisor with the NFL Player's Association.
"As an contract advisor, I have never ever given a player money, anything of monetary value, or extra benefit not afforded to other students or my friends," Egan wrote in a statement to ESPNLosAngeles.com Saturday night. "We did not mean or intend to break any rules, and are truly sorry this instance got blown out of proportion."
Egan added: "To me, a golf cart ride wasn't an extra benefit, since I give 15-20 rides a day to all my friends to and from class. The question is would they consider riding on the handle bars of a bicycle against the rules? Say we all wanted to go to the movies together, would we have to take separate cars, and the player ride by himself? ... I wouldn't even buy a players ticket to that movie. But a ride?"
Egan also said he plans on "fully cooperating with USC on any issue they might have." The two parties met Sunday in what Egan termed a "productive meeting."
Former Trojans linebacker Jordan Campbell, the first USC player to defect post-sanctions when he transferred to Louisville in June, was listed as a partner on the agency's official site until late Saturday and was confirmed by Roberts as a principal with the company. Longtime NFL agent and current USC adjunct professor of law Fred Fenster is also listed as the legal senior adviser for the company.
Campbell and Fenster did not return phone calls and messages left for them Saturday.
Speaking to reporters in the Reser Stadium press box before Saturday's USC-Oregon State game, Roberts said USC notified both the NCAA and Louisville of Campbell's involvement with the company.
A Louisville spokesperson confirmed USC notified the school's compliance office on Friday.
"That's not per se our issue because he's no longer a student with us, but we're aware of the facts," Roberts said. "As we look into this, that'll be an issue to be considered."