Todd Gurley's Memorabilia Dealer Talks Suspension, More in ESPN, SI Interview

Bryan Allen, the man who paid Georgia star running back Todd Gurley money for signing memorabilia and later emailed the media and the school about the transaction because he feared he was being set up, has told his side of the story to ESPN and Sports Illustrated.    

"I never wanted to screw over Gurley," Allen told Brett McMurphy of ESPN.com in a story published Tuesday. "I never wanted to screw over their fans or anything like that. That was never my intention. I wish I had never even gone down there. It's not worth it."

Per McMurphy's report, Allen paid Gurley $400 for signing about 80 items earlier this year. He provided the two media outlets that conducted the interview with memorabilia Gurley signed and a video of him signing it. Shane Smith, a man Allen had met at the memorabilia store Players in Rome, Georgia, was also in the car at the time.

Allen was prompted to contact media outlets and the university, however, when he felt he was being set up over the transactions and decided to try to get his side of the story out first. According to McMurphy's report, Allen claimed he contacted two media members with "ties to the University of Florida," along with Spencer Hall, a reporter for SB Nation, and eventually even Deadspin.

Allen claimed in the interview with ESPN and SI that he never sought compensation for passing along the information to members of the press, though in emails to Deadspin obtained by McMurphy, Allen did request compensation.

He then contacted members of Georgia's compliance office. The NCAA eventually suspended Gurley four games for accepting money for signing memorabilia.

Allen—who claimed he has since lost his job, dealt with an attempted break-in at his house and is considering leaving the state of Georgia altogether—felt compelled to share his side of the story:

"

People think it was just me [involved with Gurley], but it wasn't. All the parties were guilty. And I regret it. This [article] could come out and this could infuriate people. They could say this stupid guy is trying to get famous off this.

I want everyone to know that I did not try to make money. Last thing I want is to be in the public eye. I can't go find a job right here. Perception of me is I was an autograph dealer that got wronged and I turned my back on one of the players and screwed him over. That's not what happened. That's not what I did.

I'm not some secret Florida fan that is trying to sabotage Georgia's football program. I made the mistake of going down there. 

"

There are certainly other sides of this story, including that of Gurley and Smith.

Gurley, a junior, posted 911 rushing yards and nine touchdowns on 123 carries this season before tearing his ACL on Nov. 15. Georgia coach Mark Richt said on his weekly radio show (h/t Anthony Dasher of UGASports.com) Gurley is planning to enter the 2015 NFL draft.