Mo Hurst needs our help (another dispicable NCAA rule?)

Submitted by ThatGuyCeci on

In an article from 24/7 writer Josh Henschke, the topic of Mo Hurst's insurance policy came up while discussing his decision to play in the bowl game. Heres what Mo had to say:

 

Like Butt, Hurst says that he has taken an insurance policy out just in case...

However, Hurst is completely in the dark in terms of what his policy specifically states. Something, he says, is tough for some who may not necessarily have the resources to seek help.

"I do [have an insurance policy] but I have no idea what I signed," Hurst said. "That's one of the issues with this insurance thing. I wasn't as fortunate as Jake where his dad can be involved with that. I can't hire a lawyer to review my insurance policy and make sure it's the best one for me. I think that's an issue that people have to focus on because I'm not really sure what I signed."

It is stated further down in the thread that kids cannot receive free legal counsel because it would be an "impermissible benefit." What a load of crap! The hypocrisy of the NCAA is astounding. How is it that kids (especially those who cannot afford the help they need) are not allowed this service? As much money as the schools and NCAA make every year, this expense is a drop in the bucket. I truly cannot believe this is not allowed.  This needs to be brought to the national medias attention ASAP. This has to be changed to protect the student athletes, their families, and their futures.

 

 

tasnyder01

December 7th, 2017 at 6:38 PM ^

Used to work in Disability Insurance (draft insurance is a sub-set of DI).  Some people are commenting that the contract might be too complicated, and he'll need a lawyer's help.

 

Let me state clearly here: they are not.  The contracts are pretty simple: an evaluator (the company I worked for litterally used ESPN's board; it's not complicated) comes out and checks the draft status.  The policy is then worth the avg. contract at that draft position.

If the kid a.) becomes injured, and b.) is not drafted in that draft position, the kid receives the difference in salary.  We had people with high school degrees explaining this to clients.

If you want an example, here's a link from another company in the SoCal area.

 

https://www.piu.org/athlete-disability-insurance/draft-protection

MadMatt

December 7th, 2017 at 3:46 PM ^

But, I wouldn't recommend it.  I could be selling the attorneys from SLS short, but I doubt they have experience evaluating these kind of insurance policies.

An analogy that may or may not be apt: I'm a retired JAGC and I've advised many Sailors and their families through the Legal Assistance program.  We did wills, but always with the caveat that if a Sailor (usually a retiree) has a big enough estate, we were not qualified to provide the kind of sophisticated estate planning that would satisfy a minimal standard of professional service under these circumstances.  The short of it was that if you have enough to even think about the estate tax, pay for people who do this regularly.

MgoHillbilly

December 7th, 2017 at 4:23 PM ^

Completely agree. I tell clients the same thing if asked to draft a will or contract. There is no substitute for experience.

That said, I know a lot of attorneys don't charge for consults. I can't imagine having an attorney review the policy and educate him on his position would be improper at no cost if that was the attorney's business model.

It may be a problem though if he needs to engage an attorney to change anything.

Kevin13

December 7th, 2017 at 4:57 PM ^

your not talking about an estate tax here. This is a fairly simple policy that protects him against injury and future earnings. I can understand why a student wouldn't be familiar with this or even understand it. But, I would really think SLS could help him.  Hell, I would be willing to bet there are many people in the athletic office who would be familiar with these policies and could at least sit down with Mo and give him an overview of what it is and how it works.

HelloHeisman91

December 7th, 2017 at 6:18 PM ^

I’m in the insurance world, policies are never simple and I would never expect a 22 year old football player to be able to read and understand one. If he just signed his name without receiving advice from an expert that’s a terrible look for the NCAA.

TrueBlue2003

December 7th, 2017 at 5:17 PM ^

and he literally has nothing right now (not even a parent that can help), how are you not recommending it?

I'm from the insurance world, policies can be somewhat complex, but it should spell out in terms that are understandable to anyone with any legal chops whether a bowl game is covered.

Your analagy isn't apt at all, because you make the (correct) point that if your estate is large and you have the resources, yes, pay for people with more experience.  But this kid has literally no help and no resources.  SLS is highly recommended.  There's a chance the coverage is fairly clealry defined. At worst, you consult with them and they tell him something similar to what you told certain clients: we're not qualified/this isn't clear to us what is covered.  There'd be no reason to be overconfident to him to earn fees (which admittedly attorneys do all the time to get work), since it's a free service.

TrueBlue2003

December 7th, 2017 at 5:39 PM ^

No one is recommending he ask a guy on a street corner, or whatever you think "anything at all" is, which I never said anything about.  People are on here recommending coaches, which is more like "anything at all" and I certainly wouldn't recommend that.

The post to which I responded to said that SLS would be better than nothing.  And that's coming from a JAGC.  So when the alternative is nothing, taking better than that should be recommended.  SLS isn't just "anything at all".  It is a service licensed and qualified to give at least some legal advice.  If Jake Butt's dad was enough for his policy, good chance SLS might be.  And if not, they'll tell him. A service licensed to give legal advice and is bound by ethical standards and has no financial reason to be dishonest is definitely recommended given his situation.

I think what the post should have/meant to say is that he shouldn't assume that SLS is the best, most preferred option and that he should go into the consult with that understanding and shouldn't take the advice unless they're 100% confident in their interpretation of the contract then I agree. 

If Hurst had the resources, of course you would recommend an attorney more experienced with this, but he doesn't.  He has two options.  Go it alone or at least consult SLS.  Anyone that wouldn't recommend he talk to SLS under those constraints is being too cautious as to be detrimental. 

 

MadMatt

December 7th, 2017 at 3:38 PM ^

These are like placing a bet.

If Mo doesn't get hurt, he pays the premium after he signs his contract (or maybe when he signs with an agent who floats him a short term loan).

If Mo does get hurt, he doesn't owe the premium and collects the insurance amount (or for the anal retentive, the premium is deducted from his payout).

Wolfman

December 7th, 2017 at 3:24 PM ^

You may have been joking, but many Spartans have received legal assistance and I don't think the majority could afford it. Scott had so damn many charges it must have taken thousands to get him out of that mess and to get an actual driver's license with all those charges is bizarre and does not come cheaply.  I won't flat out make the statement because I don't want to accuse without having proof. However, it certainly seems like he, along with many others, received legal aid and it doesn't specify "for injury purposes only"

Magnus

December 7th, 2017 at 3:20 PM ^

Nothing in life is free.

I don't think a blanket "free legal counsel" should be necessary for a college athlete. This could be abused in many ways and from multiple parties. 

However, I wouldn't be opposed to something specifically geared toward personal insurance policies. They should be able to get guidance from someone within the athletic department, even if it's someone designated by the HR department or something. 

Regardless, it's a tough situation for Hurst. I can definitely see why that would be frustrating for him. It's too bad his real dad didn't make better choices, so he could have helped out his son.

LKLIII

December 7th, 2017 at 3:28 PM ^

Who paid for the premium?  Can't that same person pay for an attorney to review the policy?  Most attorneys could probably do it for a few hundred bucks.  It'd only take an hour or two to review....

Blue-in-the-Lou

December 7th, 2017 at 4:26 PM ^

I think in many cases payment is delayed on these, because in a few months he’ll either have a huge contract or, if injured, his insurance policy would pay out, and he could pay for the premium with the proceeds. I think when LeBron had a Hummer in highschool (remember when those were cool?) it was likely the same situation.

Maynard

December 7th, 2017 at 3:30 PM ^

Sounds like he won't be playing that game to me, the right decision especially if he isn't 100% certain if he is covered or unsure of what he signed in general.

Suit up. Be with your brothers but don't play. Peace of mind. Then go get yours for you and your family.