Considering the source, this report won't go very far. (Photo TDA Magazine)

Terrance “Mount” Cody and Marquis Johnson Accused of Selling Autographs While Students in 2009

By: Larry Burton

Following Nick Saban’s first championship at Alabama in 2009, few names were hotter than “Mount” Cody, the affable big man shoring up the middle of the defensive line for Alabama, who blocked not one, but two field goal attempts by Tennessee to preserve an unbeaten record that was the only way Alabama made it to the title game. Marquis Johnson was a cornerback and a starter as well and now rumors have come forward, that at least these two sold their autographs for pay while students following in 2009 while both were still students and still on the team.

Luke Winn, a little known writer for Sports Illustrated, reported that these two were among other players on the 2009 team that sold their autographs for cash. He claims to have gotten this from fellow Sports Illustrated person Khadrice Rollins. Winns article says that during the winter break of 2009, while these players were juniors going into their senior season, they the dealt with sports memorabilia dealers Cliff Panezich and Adam Bollinger to obtain signatures on memorabilia that they later sold.

Winn claims to have a quote from one of the dealers, Cliff Panezich, that Johnson was paid about $200 and Cody up to $400 for their signatures.

While nothing may come of this as this is only a “he said, they said” story with little proof to back the allegations, it does reflect badly on the University of Alabama.

It is also worth noting that this same writer, Luke Winn, also once wrote a story detailing that this same man, sports memorabilia deal Cliff Panezich, was also a sports memorabilia fraud. You can see that story here.

So while he quotes him in this accusation of Cody and Johnson as a reputable source, in another article he paints him to be a liar and a fraud, which by the way, the courts proved he was by giving him a six year sentence. That perhaps is why this story will gain little traction in being anything for the University of Alabama to worry about and brings into question not only Panezich’s reputation, but Winn’s too, for even bringing this story to light from a source that even he himself doubt has any integrity.

I guess the “big news” was just a way for Winn to gain some attention, but in reflection, the attention he ends up gaining makes him look questionable and needy to simply be noticed. Since this news broke both players have said that this is not true. I tend to believe them considering the other sources.

Larry has been published in almost every media outlet for college sports and now primarily writes here for Touchdown Alabama. Follow Larry on Twitter for inside thoughts and game time comments at https://twitter.com/LBSportswriter

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