Attorney Tony Clayton Targets SEC, NCAA After LSU Blocks 2 Ex-NFL Players

3 articles · Updated · NOLA.com · Sep 9

Tony Clayton said he will pursue legal action against the SEC, commissioner Greg Sankey and the NCAA after LSU declined to roster Dae’Quan Wright and Zxavaian Harris, two former NFL players seeking a fifth college season.
Tuesday’s decision came after the SEC amended its federal lawsuit to say league presidents could vote Thursday to expel LSU if it kept defying bylaws barring former NFL, NBA and WNBA players from returning to college.
LSU instead filled its final 2 roster spots with injured players Aiden Anding and Gabriel Reliford, reaching the 105-player limit and shutting out Wright and Harris.
Clayton said he will not sue LSU, arguing the school was effectively coerced and that the SEC’s actions damaged his clients’ NIL value and reputations.
The fight grew out of a Baton Rouge injunction last week that cleared 40-plus athletes, including Wright and Harris, to return, while a federal hearing in Alabama is still set for Wednesday even as LSU’s move may blunt its impact.