After a year, the Courier-Journal has discovered that Denzil Ware was suspended for last season’s bowl game because he took money from an agent.
According to the report:
Ware, who transferred from UK to Jacksonville State before the 2018 season, was held out of the bowl game after accepting $1,628 in impermissible benefits from someone who triggered the NCAA’s definition of an agent, according to a self-reported rules violation made by UK to the SEC and NCAA and obtained by the Courier Journal through an open records request.
Ware had cut ties with the agent, but the agent reestablished contact after four years:
After not speaking to Ware for four years, Reid, an agent with the Black Ops Sports Group, reestablished contact during Ware’s junior year at UK and “began providing benefits shortly thereafter,” according to UK’s self-reported rules violation. Ware told UK he thought Reid was a friend and did not realize he qualified as an agent per NCAA rules or was currently working for a sports agency.
During the spring of 2017, Ware interacted with Reid and/or three other members of the Black Ops Sports Group (Kathy Jones, Candance Jones and Dwight McKenzie) at Lexington restaurants and a bar on three occasions. Ware reported to UK he did not pay for his meals and drinks at the meetings. Reid told Ware “the Jones family were people that he could reach out to if he needed anything during his time at the institution,” according to UK’s report.
Ware transferred to Jacksonville State after graduating from UK last Spring.
Garrett Johnson also took a small amount of money from the agent, which led to minor punishment during the Music City Bowl.
