NCAA Seeks Link Between Mills, Agent

The NCAA is investigating a possible link between a Beverly Hills, Calif., sports agent and the University of Kentucky’s recruitment of Chris Mills, according to a published report.

The Lexington Herald-Leader said in a story in Wednesday’s editions that five telephone calls were made from UK to Al Ross, a lawyer registered with the National Football League as an agent.

Claud Mills, father of Chris Mills, said Ross had nothing to do with the recruitment of his son and he had no idea why the calls were made.

Ross acknowledged receiving the calls, but refused to say what they were about.

According to telephone records from the UK basketball office, the five calls were made to Ross between July 1987 and February 1988. One was made from assistant coach Dwane Casey’s extension to Ross on Nov. 12, the day after Chris Mills signed with UK. Three other calls were made from Casey’s extension, a fourth was made from another UK basketball office telephone, and a fifth was charged to Casey’s telephone credit card.

Casey refused to comment about the phone calls and Kentucky Coach Eddie Sutton said he was unaware of them.

David Berst, the NCAA’s director of enforcement, refused to comment on the investigation.

National Collegiate Athletic Assn. rules forbid a player from being represented by a paid agent, even to help the player win an athletic scholarship. Players who violate the rules can lose their eligibility to play.

Claud Mills acknowledged that Ross made inquiries for him about statements by employees of Emery Worldwide Air Freight describing how an overnight mail envelope popped open at a Los Angeles sorting center, revealing $1,000 in cash. The envelope, which was addressed to Claud Mills, was sent by Casey. Both have denied any knowledge of the money.

Claud Mills said he called on Ross for two reasons: Mills’ attorney, Ron Hecker, was out of town when the original story was published, and Mills knew of Ross from a 1985 dispute at Fairfax High School in Los Angeles.

The school had been placed on probation by the Interscholastic Athletic Committee because of rowdy fans. The penalty included a one-year ban on out-of-state trips. Fairfax had two out-of-state trips scheduled that year: one to Las Vegas and one to the Louisville Fairdale King of the Bluegrass tournament.

Warren Steinberg, the Fairfax principal, said Ross was asked by parents of players on the team to try to get the probation reduced.

“The parents were upset because the kids wouldn’t get national exposure,” Steinberg said. “The parents called in Al Ross as their representative to discuss the matter with me. I had already appealed.”

Among the players on the team were Chris Mills and Sean Higgins. The school lost the appeal, Steinberg said.

Higgins’ recruitment became the subject of an NCAA investigation last year. Steinberg said that he was questioned by the NCAA about Ross at that time, but that he had not been asked about the attorney-agent concerning Mills.

The elder Mills said he was advised to seek out Ross.

“I talked to some people. They said I needed an attorney to look into it,” Mills said.

He refused to say who recommended Ross.