Enis spurs Ridge bill

In the aftermath of an incident involving former Penn State running back Curtis Enis, sports agent Jeff Nalley and a dress suit, Gov. Tom Ridge yesterday signed a bill that will restrict trouble-making agents from soliciting clients in Pennsylvania.

The new law, which will take effect in 60 days, will require sports agents to be registered with the State Athletic Commission, according to reports from The Associated Press. Though it usually only regulates professional and amateur boxing, kick boxing and some styles of wrestling, the commission will be authorized to impose fines, recover bond proceeds and even suspend or revoke licenses from agents who enter into agreements with student-athletes who still have college eligibility.

In addition, any agent with a criminal record would not be granted agent registration in the state.

Enis lost his last year of collegiate eligibility when it was discovered he accepted a suit from Nalley, the Houston-based sports agent. He was barred from participating in this year's Florida Citrus Bowl, a game that Penn State went on to lose to Florida, 21-6. Questions subsequently were raised about whether agents' actions should be regulated.

Penn State defensive ends coach Larry Johnson said the new law probably should have been passed a while ago, although he acknowledged he hasn't seen agents interfere with players too often.

Johnson said the law would be effective, but hoped the athletes would still recognize the need to act with caution.

"Some responsibility has to be put on the athlete as well -- you have to determine what is right and wrong," Johnson said. "It may deter some things from happening and may deter a player from doing something detrimental to their career."

One athlete who may have benefited from the deterrent was Enis. Despite leaving Penn State as the school's third-ranked all-time rusher, Enis also will be remembered for the damaging incident with Nalley.

The law will be helpful in keeping other student-athletes -- and even agents -- out of similar situations, said Lion tight ends coach Jay Paterno.

"Obviously, I think it's there to protect a student-athlete from getting involved in something they shouldn't be, and it's a deterrent to the agents," Paterno said.

Paterno said he hasn't had any problems with most of the agents he has dealt with, adding that most of them conducted business ethically. The law was probably passed because Enis had gotten into trouble, he said.

"Usually if laws are enacted it's because something goes wrong," Paterno said. "When something like (this) happens, it kind of changes people's opinions of things."

Penn State Athletic Director Tim Curley said he was very approving of the bill, and that the Pennsylvania law may be followed by some sort of national legislation.

"There continues to be a lot of support for national legislation," Curley said, "and we feel that if that initiative came forward, we would be very supportive."