OT Laremy Tunsil falls in draft, admits NCAA pay violation

After falling in the 2016 NFL Draft following social media controversy, top prospect OT Laremy Tunsil admits to accepting money from the University of Mississippi after being drafted 13th overall by the Miami Dolphins.

By Evan Needell, Larry King Now


It’s a long fall from the top. During Thursday’s night’s NFL draft, University of Mississippi Offensive Lineman Laremy Tunsil learned that it’s often an expensive one too. 

Tunsil, widely projected to be a top three pick in this year’s NFL draft, watched helplessly as he fell all the way to the 13th pick, eventually being drafted by the Miami Dolphins.

Teams became wary of Tunsil at the very last moment, as a video of Tunsil smoking from a gas-mask bong appeared on his allegedly hacked Twitter account. The video was uploaded mere minutes before the NFL Draft began.

CNN reports that, according to the sliding scale of salary for an NFL rookie based on draft position and signing bonuses, Tunsil’s fall from a top three pick to a mid-round selection could cost him roughly $20 million total.

The wild night wasn’t over for Tunsil, even after the Dolphins drafted him. Just a short while later, screenshots of a text-message discussion between Tunsil and the University of Mississippi coaching staff appeared on the Offensive Lineman’s Instagram account.

In the conversation, Tunsil seems to be asking for financial assistance on behalf of his mother, who was having issues paying for her maintenance bills. Tunsil shortly confirmed this as true.

Among all of this confusion, one thing is very clear – that somebody has it out for Laremy Tunsil.  Sources speculate that the hacker posting these messages on Tunsil’s accounts may be his step-father – Lindsey Miller – who recently filed a lawsuit against the new Miami Dolphin. Miller denies the accusation.

The University of Mississippi has begun to investigate the alleged payments made to Tunsil and his family. See the above video from Larry King Now, where Larry interviews Ed O’Bannon and Michael Hausfeld about how the NCAA and universities exploit their student athletes. 

The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of Ora Media, LLC, its affiliates, or its employees.

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