A video has surfaced on social media of former LSU star Odell Beckham Jr. appearing to hand out cash to LSU players moments after the national championship game against Clemson on Monday night.
An LSU athletic official told The Advocate on Tuesday morning the money was not real. The school is still looking into the matter, the official said later Tuesday, because although novelty bills were found on the field during the postgame celebration, it was unclear whether those were the bills Beckham was handing out.
It's uncertain where the novelty bills came from.
Junior wide receivers Justin Jefferson and Jontre Kirklin were in the video that surfaced Tuesday morning.
Can't see video? Click here.
OBJ handing wads of cash to LSU players on the field after the National Championship pic.twitter.com/QVmebrjpPy
— Brody Logan (@BrodyLogan) January 14, 2020
LSU won, 42-25, for its first national championship since the 2007 season.
Can't see video? Click here.
Odell says he's gonna sell Justin Jefferson's cleats for $200K 🤣 @brkicks pic.twitter.com/hsOpQbNWOl
— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) January 14, 2020
Beckham played high school football at Newman High School in New Orleans and later went on to star with the Tigers from 2011-2013.
He's currently a member of the Cleveland Browns.
NCAA student-athletes are not permitted from profiting off their likeness, which includes selling equipment or autographs.
Players also cannot receive monetary gifts.
Ed Orgeron asked about OBJ passing out cash to #LSU players after the game. Said it was first he heard about it. Patrick Queen said he didn't get any.
— Scott Rabalais (@RabalaisAdv) January 14, 2020
Developing story, to be sure. But I figure any players who got money will give it back and that will be it.
On Tuesday, LSU coach Ed Orgeron and junior linebacker Patrick Queen said during a morning news conference it was the first they were hearing about the incident.
"No sir, I did not see that," Queen said.
"First I'm hearing about it," Orgeron said.
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