LONE TREE — It took a few days of cajoling from family and friends and time spent thinking about it, but former Colorado linebacker Kanavis McGhee finally decided he had to say something.
A Sports Illustrated article, which alleged McGhee took $2,500 from an agent while he played for the Buffs, had gotten too big for him not to.
So Thursday, McGhee began the process of clearing his name. He denied all allegations made by former sports agent Josh Luchs in the SI article.
Speaking with select media for the first time since the story first appeared this week in SI, McGhee said he did not ask for money, nor take it, from Luchs or anyone else before the 1990 season or any other year.
“To me, it was comical because it was so far from the truth,” McGhee said. “I discredit any of it. It was shocking.”
McGhee said he didn’t meet Luchs until spring 1991 — after he had finished his senior season at Colorado.
Then, McGhee said, he met the budding agent through an undisclosed associate, and “I spent five, at the most 10 minutes listening to what he had to say, and then he left my apartment,” McGhee said. “That’s all that was. I met him one time. I haven’t heard from, seen or talked to him since.”
In the article, Luchs said he approached McGhee at the player’s apartment one day before the 1990 season, got to know him during an introductory conversation that day and at the end of it, said McGhee asked him for $2,500 in order to help his sick mother pay rent. McGhee is from Houston.
After thinking it over, Luchs said he gave McGhee the money.
“There are people that have known me for over 20 years that haven’t had a discussion with about my mother,” McGhee said. “He’s saying the article that I used my mother to extort money from him. Anybody that knows me knows I wouldn’t do that. I wouldn’t use my mother’s name in vain like that. She’s the only parent I’ve had for the last 30 years. Why would I do that? Is that worth $2,500?”
Though he has said nothing illegal or improper ever took place, McGhee also plans to give a formal apology to CU for any harm the story might have caused the institution.
“I’m going to publicly apologize for taking so long and having them go through this a couple of days before I actually decided to make a statement and make comments on this,” McGhee said.
Barring new information, Colorado will not face an investigation or any trouble with the NCAA because of the allegations against McGhee.
Julie Manning, Colorado’s associate athletic director for NCAA compliance, sent an e-mail to chancellor Phil DiStefano saying she spent Wednesday researching the issue.
“The consensus with compliance officers at other institutions was that there would be no need to investigate this issue,” Manning wrote. “In addition, and probably most importantly, I did just have a conversation with NCAA staff member Chance Miller who is on the Agent/Gambling side of the NCAA. He stated that, ‘at this time, the NCAA is not initiating any type of investigation into this matter.’
“However, if new information would surface where they could confirm that an institution was aware of this taking place at the time, they could come back and open an investigation with that institution. But, at this time, they are not proceeding forward with any type of investigation.”
McGhee has retained counsel and said he’ll explore all of his legal options against Luchs and Sports Illustrated. His attorney, C.J. Chapman, was at Thursday’s interview and stressed “no money was discussed nor received” and wants the magazine to write a retraction for implicating McGhee in any wrongdoing.
“From a legal prospective, we’ll wait and see what the next response is from Sports Illustrated, from Josh Luchs,” Chapman said. “I would go on the record as telling him to tread lightly in his next steps as far as using Kanavis in any future communication or actions.”
Staff writer John Henderson contributed to this report.
Chris Dempsey: 303-954-1279 or cdempsey@denverpost.com
