The lawyer who got NFL player Donte’ Stallworth 24 days in jail for a DUI manslaughter charge is the same man who represents Marvin Austin.
Since late July, Miami lawyer Christopher Lyons has represented Austin, who was dismissed from the North Carolina football team on Monday for violating NCAA agent benefits, preferential treatment and ethical conduct rules.
A number of professional athletes in both football and tennis have employed Lyons, but he said that Austin is his first client who is also a student-athlete.
“Right now with the events, he’s very disappointed that he’s not going to be able to play this year,” Lyons said.
“He’s been trying to be positive and supportive. Right now in the short term, he doesn’t know his future. I think it’s going to take some time.”
Lyons has been to Chapel Hill twice as Austin’s representation, with his most recent trip in September when Austin spoke during the Secretary of State’s investigation into agent-player relations.
“He’s been trying to be as cooperative as he can,” Lyons said. “Providing records — not just testimony — and we’ve been cooperating.”
Fellow dismissed players Robert Quinn and Greg Little were not truthful to NCAA investigators on three separate occasions, according to an NCAA news release. Lyons declined to say if Austin, who the football program dismissed before the NCAA made its ruling, was also dishonest.
“I think the school, when they did dismiss him, they may have referenced to unethical conduct,” Lyons said. “I don’t know if they’re trying to couch Marvin with Greg and Robert in that sense. I can tell you that since I’ve been involved representing Marvin, everything we’ve done has tried to be consistent.”
