A.J. Greens Game Used Jersey Buyer Is Facing Felony Drug Charges

Sold $1,000

The man who is accused of buying University of Georgia receiver A.J. Green’s game used jersey that spawned a four game suspension is facing felony drug charges in Georgia. Chris Hawkins, who played at North Carolina from 2001-03 before finishing his college career at Marshall, was arrested by Georgia State Patrol officers on April 23, 2009 on felony charges of trafficking cocaine and misdemeanor charges of possession of marijuana.

Hawkins was pulled over by a Georgia State Patrol officer while driving a U-haul moving truck for not  wearing a seat belt and after officers discovered a small amount of marijuana in his pocket later, they brought out the drug-detecting dog. The dog discovered a paper sack containing a baseball-sized amount of base cocaine, which weighed about three ounces and was covered in peanut butter and pepper.

Hawkins, from Kinston, N.C., spent 20 days in the Morgan County (Ga.) Detention Center until he was released on $50,000 bail. Hawkins is scheduled to appear in Morgan County Superior Court on Oct. 18.

Page Pate, Hawkins’ Atlanta-based attorney says that the U-haul truck was rented by former North Carolina and Pittsburgh Steelers running back Willie Parker. Pate said Hawkins, who is Parker’s roommate, was delivering furniture from Miami to North Carolina for Parker.

Pate said Parker purchased the furniture from a penthouse in the Fontainebleau hotel in Miami, which was the site of at least two agent-related parties this past spring. The NCAA is investigating whether North Carolina defensive lineman Marvin Austin and receiver Greg Little violated its rules by attending the parties. Alabama defensive lineman Marcel Dareus also attended a party at Fontainebleau and was suspended two games by the NCAA. South Carolina tight end Weslye Saunders, who was dismissed from the Gamecocks, is also being investigated by NCAA officials for attending the parties.

Last week, the NCAA suspended Green for four games after he sold his Independence Bowl jersey to Hawkins for $1,000.