NFL Agent Gary Wichard, Central Figure In UNC Investigation, Reportedly Has Died

Read More: North Carolina Tar Heels

Veteran NFL agent Gary Wichard, who represented such players as Antonio Cromartie, C.J. Spiller, Jason Taylor, and Dwight Freeney over the course of a decades-long career in the field, has died, according to a report from the Sports Agent Blog. The author cites multiple sources, including a member of Wichard's ProTect Management, and another blog mentions that several agents at the 2011 NFL Combine believe Wichard to have been ill. Sports Business Journal's Liz Mullen says Wichard was suffering from both diabetes and pancreatic cancer.

Apart from his work with the pros, Wichard had gained recent notoriety thanks to his involvement in the ongoing investigation into improper benefits for UNC football players. Earlier this month, a search warrant was issued by investigators from the North Carolina Secretary Of State's office for financial records belonging both to Wichard and ProTect, as ties between him and former Tar Heels assistant coach John Blake continued to be probed. Wichard was also serving a nine-month suspension from the NFLPA thanks to fallout from the case.