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re: How much were top high school football recruits in the 1980s getting paid under the table?
Posted on 8/18/26 at 11:23 am to FlyingTigerBo
Posted on 8/18/26 at 11:23 am to FlyingTigerBo
In the 70's they had to be a lot more subtle. Like give an athlete a fake campus job that paid enough for the rock bottom lease on a nice car. Alumni meetings where they would shake hands and pass hundred dollar bills for "spending money". Food places where they knew they could get a "free meal" or beer.
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Posted on 8/18/26 at 11:25 am to FlyingTigerBo
Nobody really knows that's why they call it "Under the table"
Posted on 8/18/26 at 11:34 am to FlyingTigerBo
Ask Harvey Williams. If anyone was offered money during the time, he would make the list as a possibility as he was pursued by LSU and the Texas schools.
This post was edited on 8/18/26 at 11:37 am
Posted on 8/18/26 at 11:38 am to Tigerstark
quote:
I can tell you a story I know -
Two lsu football players in the 80s needed money to buy presents for their girlfriends for Christmas.
They came and mowed a lawn - one did it the first day. One mowed the whole yard again on the second day. It was December - grass ain’t growing quick but it still took time and effort for them to do the job.
This was all legal as they actually did the work. By the following year the ncaa has changed some rules and they weren’t able to do it like that anymore.
ETA - no sure what they were paid but I’m guessing it was on the higher end of the rates at the time.
I knew a guy whose job was to report to some field every day at a certain time and make sure the automatic sprinklers came on.
Posted on 8/18/26 at 11:48 am to Got Blaze
I heard from a credible source (grew up near him) that Herschel Walker recieved roughly $20K cash in 1980 to sign with Georgia. He was highly recruited. That was a LOT of $$$ in 1980. There are a lot of stories documenting his recruitment. He delayed his commitment until well after signing day, flipping several times. The paper sacks of cash kept getting bigger.
Posted on 8/18/26 at 12:00 pm to FlyingTigerBo
Anthony Randolph used to go by a business in Port Allen and bring the mail inside from the mailbox for $1,000 a week. And he hardly ever showed up to do it 
Posted on 8/18/26 at 12:01 pm to FlyingTigerBo
Back in the mid 90s, Richard Condon had a guy on the show that played OL for SMU back in the early 80s. Guy was from Iowa and had literally never left the family farm other than a few places in Iowa. SMU flew him to Dallas on a recruiting trip in 1979 and a limo driver met him at Love Field with his name on a white sign. He takes him to the limo with the guy thinking he's headed to the campus to meet the coaches and tour everything. The driver opens the back door of the limo and inside is a smoking hot blonde, an incredible Latina, and a smoking hot mixed brunette. Driver said "They got all three because they weren't sure what you were into". He spent the entire weekend in a suite at the Adolphous Hotel in Dallas with them. Never saw the campus or anything. They flew him home Sunday evening and he signed immediately..
Posted on 8/18/26 at 12:02 pm to jflsufan
quote:
I knew a guy whose job was to report to some field every day at a certain time and make sure the automatic sprinklers came on.
Amazing
I know a guy that used to be one of the "casino guys" for a booster that would park at the Belle and give $500 in chips to certain players. They were fairly organized about this and it wasn't always him. He would get paid for this service as well, but not that much.
ETA:
I always thought this was a clever way to hand off clean money. Of course some of the players would waste it in the casino, while others would play one hand and leave with almost all.
This post was edited on 8/18/26 at 12:04 pm
Posted on 8/18/26 at 12:21 pm to NorthshoreTiger76
Aggie gonna Aggie
Posted on 8/18/26 at 12:24 pm to FlyingTigerBo
Kids weren't as greedy back then. They were happy with free meals and a few hundred bucks. Possibly a car.
Posted on 8/18/26 at 12:41 pm to FlyingTigerBo
:The NCAA was investigating LSU for something or other. Jeff Wickersham's father was a wealthy FL real estate guy. Wickersham was driving a Cadillac and the investigator asked him where he got it.
"My dad gave it to me."
"And where did your dad get the money?"
"From selling his jet."
"My dad gave it to me."
"And where did your dad get the money?"
"From selling his jet."
Posted on 8/18/26 at 1:59 pm to FlyingTigerBo
Posted on 8/18/26 at 2:06 pm to Longdriver98
quote:I was at LSU in the 80s as well and Stefon Johnson was driving a new 280Z. Got kicked off the team, and another bball player was driving it the next week.
When I swam at LSU in 1980, I noticed that all of the Basketball players were driving brand new Buicks Said to myself
Also, John Williams was driving a red 5-series BMW.
So yes, the players got cars and some spending money, but nothing remotely close to what's happening now.
Posted on 8/18/26 at 2:09 pm to lsupicker
quote:
Shaq said he had hardly any money when he went to LSU
I was a youngster attending LSU basketball camps in Shaq's days. He drove up to the PMAC in an old Ford Explorer. Didn't look new at the time.
But that old movie "Blue Chips" with Shaq and Penny and Nick Nolte probably had a lot of truths to the old days of doing it. Friends of the program would loan or gift a new car, tractor, etc. to the player or their family.
Posted on 8/18/26 at 2:40 pm to TopWaterTiger
I know a guy who wrote a lot of term papers for athletes in the ‘70s/‘80’s to keep them academically eligible
Posted on 8/18/26 at 2:44 pm to MondayMorningMarch
I'd be curious what you guys think is the most amount someone received before it was legal. Wasn't Cam Newton supposedly like 250,000? I don't remember what year everything became above board but I'm sure someone has to have gotten more than him
ETA just looked and Cam got 180,000 (allegedly)
ETA just looked and Cam got 180,000 (allegedly)
This post was edited on 8/18/26 at 2:46 pm
Posted on 8/18/26 at 4:23 pm to JayVegas702
Eddie Kinnison used to drive a piece of crap, purple lowrider, Toyota pick-up. Looked like he spray painted it himself.
Posted on 8/18/26 at 5:32 pm to FlyingTigerBo
A friend of mine, Mark Bass, was a full back for Bossier High School and was recruited and was signed by LSU. He said the recruiter took them to Powell Buick and asked him which car does he like, Mark told him the Buick Regal Grand National. The recruiter took Marks mom into the finance guys office and came out and had a set of keys. Mark said his mom paid $1.00 for the car.
This post was edited on 8/18/26 at 5:33 pm
Posted on 8/18/26 at 5:33 pm to LSUChamps03
Is that Jefferson from Fast Times at Ridgemont High?
Posted on 8/18/26 at 5:36 pm to FlyingTigerBo
Basketball 1997, Lester Earl got a $16k pickup truck and I think his parents got a nice job or similar.
He was a top 5 recruit in the country and that’s when CBB was a much bigger sport with players staying 2-4 years.
Also, I knew some players in that time frame and a bit later. They wouldn’t have some cash in their lockers or pockets of their clothing after games for playing well. I think it was a few hundred bucks up to $500 or so though.
He was a top 5 recruit in the country and that’s when CBB was a much bigger sport with players staying 2-4 years.
Also, I knew some players in that time frame and a bit later. They wouldn’t have some cash in their lockers or pockets of their clothing after games for playing well. I think it was a few hundred bucks up to $500 or so though.
This post was edited on 8/18/26 at 5:43 pm
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