State of Georgia so upset about Todd Gurley’s NCAA trouble, it made a new law

The state of Georgia passed a new law levying harsher penalties against people attempting to “bribe or entice college athletes to knowingly break NCAA rules by taking money,” via the AJC.

This comes in the wake of former star Georgia running back Todd Gurley’s suspension last season following an incident with an autograph dealer.

Gurley reportedly accepted money from Florida fan Bryan Allen, a dealer who later exposed the story. Allen said he shopped the story because the player’s autographs were “losing value.”

The crime was previously a misdemeanor but now carries the possibility of jail time.

Gurley was recently a first-round draft pick of the St. Louis Rams.

Rep. Barry Fleming (R-Harlem), who introduced the bill:

“That’s what really got most peoples’ dander up,” said Fleming, a rabid Bulldogs fan with undergraduate and law degrees from UGA. “I was disappointed when it happened. But I understand the young man comes from a very humble background. His mother didn’t have funds to properly repair the roof on the trailer she raised him in.”

This isn’t the first time Gurley’s case has made its way into Georgia politics. During the 2014 governor race, candidate Jason Carter and incumbent Nathan Deal (who won and ended up signing this bill) battled over who supported the running back more.