Despite Geno Smtih coming out and officially saying that he was never recruited by Jay-Z recently, it appears that may not have been the truth. Courtesy of a report via Mike Garafolo of USA TODAY Sports, Smith apparently did talk to Jay-Z prior to signing with Roc Nation Sports. Which would be a violation of the NFL’s “runner rule.”
According to a person who spoke to Smith before he signed with Roc Nation, the second-round pick said Jay-Z had lined up a woman to represent him on all contract matters. The person, who spoke to USA TODAY Sports on condition of anonymity because the conversation was to remain private, said Smith made it clear he’d spoken to Jay-Z about joining the firm and that he hadn’t actively sought out the woman who would be his next agent.
Kimberly Miale is a Boston-based attorney and NFL Players Association-certified agent who now represents Smith. Miale has only two inactive clients registered with the NFLPA — kicker Carlos Martinez, currently with the Philadelphia Soul of the Arena Football League, and former University of Florida linebacker Brandon Hicks.
It will be interesting to see how this plays out and how the NFLPA decides to handle it.