Leo Etienne sits behind a faux wooden desk in a cramped office, swiveling back and forth in his chair. An unopened pack of toilet paper rolls rests on a side table next to a printer. Etienne prefers to conduct interviews here rather than in his messy main office. The office is located within a concrete building that doubles as a warehouse, with no signs on the exterior, situated on a road without sidewalks in a Central Florida city with a population of 20,000.
Inside the building, a group of about two dozen young men lift weights while listening to hip-hop music. Some gather in a meeting area at the front, and a garage door opens to a grass field where they train daily. This building serves as a central hub for the emerging industry of post-grad football, where high school graduates pay substantial amounts to pursue their dreams of playing college football. Leo Etienne is a key figure in this world, wearing a black polo shirt with his team’s logo and providing evasive responses during interviews.
Over the past nine years, hundreds of young men have paid significant sums to join Etienne’s post-grad football team, Advance Prep Academy, or other teams in the league he established, the National Post Grad Athletic Association (NPGAA). The league has expanded to include 39 teams from 13 states since its inception in 2021. Post-grad football teams typically consist of 20 to 30 athletes who spend several months living in motels, practicing in public parks, and playing games in the hopes of catching the eye of college recruiters.
While post-grad football is promoted as a pathway for athletes to enhance their skills and secure better opportunities, the industry is plagued by stories of broken promises and financial misconduct. Athletes often face challenges such as unreliable housing and meal plans, lack of health and safety measures, and unscrupulous team owners. Despite the risks, post-grad football remains a popular option for unsigned high-school graduates seeking a second chance at college sports.
Etienne created a football league to address player mistreatment issues, promising governance, rules, and enforcement. Member teams paid $3,000 in dues for legitimacy like the NCAA. However, investigations revealed Etienne’s failure to enforce rules and his own rule-breaking. Former players and officials criticized him for profiting from their hopes without delivering promised opportunities. Financial records showed a nonprofit, managed solely by Etienne, raised over $400,000 but spent most on rent with no visible activities. Etienne could not account for the funds, raising suspicions. Despite allegations, he defended his program and denied mismanagement, pointing to players who advanced to higher levels. Critics were labeled as uninformed or dishonest. Etienne’s own football aspirations had not materialized, leading him to establish Advance Prep Academy in 2016 following a failed magazine venture.
The options Etienne initially considered were a fitness and marketing club, a cleaning service, and a Caribbean restaurant. However, he eventually came up with a promising concept. The realm of post-grad basketball was already well-established, while post-grad football teams were scarce nationwide, particularly in Florida. This state, known for being a college football recruiting hub, had previously implemented a gender-equity regulation that prohibited public community colleges from offering football. Etienne recognized an opportunity in this untapped market and established his post-grad football team, Advance Prep Academy, as a nonprofit venture in 2016. Initially, players resided in a hotel and competed against various opponents, mainly Christian and for-profit colleges, with a fee of around $3,000 to $4,000 per player.
Over the course of four years, Etienne transitioned his team into a for-profit enterprise, relocated players to rental properties, and raised the fee significantly. Presently, Etienne charges up to $10,500 per player. He proudly promotes Advance Prep Academy as the pioneering post-grad football team in Florida. Despite some players and coaches expressing positive experiences and admiration for Etienne’s motivational speeches and player care, others highlighted issues such as inadequate living conditions, substandard food, insufficient equipment, and a lack of essential resources on the sidelines. Some players claimed they were pressured to continue playing despite injuries rather than receiving proper medical attention.
Former players, including Fillimore Wynter and Cedrick Harris, recounted instances of cramped housing, expired and moldy food, unsuitable equipment, and a lack of medical support during games and practices. Complaints ranged from Wynter being given a bunk bed instead of a promised private room to Harris contracting a fungal infection due to unclean shoulder pads. Both players criticized the absence of proper medical care and the poor quality of game footage provided to them. Despite Etienne’s denial of some of the allegations, including offering personal rooms or using food from a food bank, former players continued to raise concerns about their experiences at Advance Prep Academy.
Questions were also raised about the effectiveness of the coaching staff and the overall impact of the program on players’ careers and well-being. Some former coaches from the 2023 team noted that living conditions had not improved and may have even worsened over the years. Xavier Smith, an assistant coach from 2023, revealed discrepancies between what Etienne had promised and what was actually provided, indicating ongoing challenges within the program.
Instead of living in the same house with seven or eight players, they found the house lacking in food supplies. It took at least a week before Etienne finally brought some bags of chicken, cans of fruit, string beans, and assorted vegetables. Throughout the season, Etienne only restocked the fridge twice, leading players to spend more money on takeout. Smith mentioned that Etienne failed to fulfill several promises, such as providing new uniforms, launching a team website, and arranging away games in Utah, Las Vegas, and other locations. Smith realized early on that he had been deceived but felt compelled to stay for the sake of the players. The head coach, Kalvin Rymer, and Smith tried to understand how Etienne was using the players’ money. However, they discovered discrepancies in the budget, with coaching salaries totaling no more than $20,000, and Rymer only received $4,000 of his $7,000 contract. When they questioned Etienne about the financial situation, he dodged their inquiries or promised to follow up but never did. Rymer suspected that some of the players’ money was being used for personal gain rather than benefiting the program. Etienne claimed that all the money paid by players stayed within the program and denied taking a salary despite running it as a full-time job. He cited his main income source as a medical transportation business. Etienne struggled to provide an exact figure for Advance Prep’s annual operating costs, and he mentioned that most players paid less than the full price of $10,500. With around two dozen players, the program generated revenue between $120,000 and $252,000 annually. Etienne insisted that the program broke even financially. In 2020, amidst the pandemic, Etienne founded the National Post Graduate Athletic Association to provide opportunities for athletes affected by canceled NCAA sports. However, investigations revealed that Etienne misrepresented the league by promoting fake teams, failing to address misleading practices by some teams, and misusing program owners’ funds. Despite claiming to have 20 teams in the league, the NPGAA’s integrity was called into question.
None of those teams actually existed. There is little to no online presence for them, except for a few sparsely populated social media pages, and they are not registered businesses. Two teams used Native American logos identical to those of Hallsville High School in Missouri and South Jones High School in Mississippi, with the letters “AP” and “SC” added on digitally. Etienne, when shown a copy of the graphic by USA TODAY, pointed out the four suspicious programs, mentioning that they were not legitimate. He admitted to being “affiliated” with one of them, Excel Prep Academy, and creating its Facebook page. When asked about the ownership of the other teams, Etienne claimed he was too busy to look into it and never followed through.
It is unclear how many of the other 16 teams in the graphic actually participated in the 2021 season. Most of them seem to have disbanded, with new teams joining and leaving the league. Bonneville Football Academy, located near Orlando, Florida, joined the league in 2022. The team’s owner, Jill Todd, paid up to $3,000 in league dues per year, hoping that the NPGAA would provide much-needed structure and oversight for post-grad programs. However, the league has failed to enforce its code of conduct, which includes requirements for honesty, ethical behavior, and respect between coaches and players. Multiple team owners and coaches, including Etienne, have not adhered to the league’s code of conduct.
Prestige Worldwide Sports Academy, a league member since 2021, advertised the luxurious Chateau Mar Golf Resort in Fort Lauderdale as the players’ accommodation on its website. However, when the 2022 team arrived, some players were informed they would be staying at a Comfort Suites instead, sharing a room with three players, one on a sofa, unless they paid additional fees. Kenney Wilcox, the owner of Prestige, claimed that the players and their parents had agreed to this alternative arrangement, even though it was not mentioned on the website or in the agreement.
McDougle Technical Institute, a cosmetology school based in Florida, operated two post-grad teams in the NPGAA while being investigated by the federal government for financial fraud. The school was found to have defrauded players and falsified attendance records to divert over $800,000 in financial aid money, meant for college students, to its football team. The U.S. Department of Education revoked MTI’s certification to receive financial aid in December 2022. Octavia McDougle, the school’s owner, denied the allegations, claiming that the federal investigation was unjust and violated the institute’s rights.
At Southwest Florida Preparatory & Technical Institute in Naples, a player in 2023 uploaded a video on YouTube showing the team’s head coach and owner, Derek Jenks, shouting and swearing at another player. The video went viral, prompting Jenks to temporarily suspend himself before
After the 2023 season, Etienne rebranded his team as Rising Prep Academy and distanced himself from the conduct of the teams and owners. He stated that the NPGAA cannot take responsibility for how the organizations are run as they are not involved in the day-to-day operations. Despite an investigation launched by the league’s compliance services department into Bonneville for rostering an overage player, frustrations and broken promises led Jill Todd, owner of Bonneville Football Academy, to withdraw her post-grad football team from the NPGAA. Several other post-grad team owners also expressed disillusionment with Etienne’s disorganization, poor communication, and excuses, leading them to leave or consider leaving the league.
Todd highlighted various unfulfilled promises outlined in the NPGAA membership agreement, including marketing support, team rankings, and awards, which resulted in hampered recruiting and sponsorship efforts. Etienne, when confronted with Todd’s complaints, disagreed with some points but failed to address the issues raised. A scheduling error involving a game against Atlantis University further exacerbated Todd’s frustrations, as the opposing team’s athletic director and head coach had no knowledge of Bonneville Football Academy.
Questions arose regarding Etienne’s financial management, as records revealed personal debts and legal issues related to child support payments. Despite his efforts to build a post-grad empire, concerns over financial transparency and accountability lingered among team owners and stakeholders.
A federal lien of $11,795 for unpaid income taxes from six years ago was paid off by Etienne before March 2022, when the IRS released the lien. In August 2022, Etienne purchased a three-bedroom house in Winter Haven, Florida, a city adjacent to Auburndale, marking his second property in the area. Records indicate that he acquired the house with a $314,000 mortgage backed by the Federal Housing Administration. However, there seems to be no record of any payments being made in the first year. Subsequently, a $38,000 lien was placed on the property in November 2023.
Around the same time, The County Buzz, a high school sports magazine founded by Etienne in 2005, experienced a surprising resurgence. Previously, in 2007, the tax-exempt nonprofit organization had reported a deficit of $1,000 after raising only $122. Over a decade later, the magazine unexpectedly saw a substantial increase in revenue without publishing any new content. In 2019, contributions amounted to over $70,000. This figure surged to $188,000 in 2020 and reached $158,000 in 2021. In the same year, it reported $158,064 in contributions while spending exactly $153,000 on rent as per its IRS filing.
Etienne described The County Buzz as a “youth empowerment organization” that also used to sponsor football camps in the community. When questioned about the organization’s financial activities, Etienne initially claimed that The County Buzz was not generating income. However, he later struggled to explain how it reported raising $417,000 from 2019 to 2021, mentioning that they provide compensated services within different organizations.
The organization had received donations from only two entities in 2020 and 2023, United Way of Central Florida and Givewell Community Foundation, each contributing $15,000. Both organizations did not respond to inquiries regarding their donations. Etienne mentioned that The County Buzz also engages with the state, but official records do not show any contracts between state agencies and the nonprofit.
During the same period of increased revenue, The County Buzz reportedly spent the majority of its funds, totaling $380,000, on a single category labeled “occupancy, rent, utilities, and maintenance.” When asked about the specifics of the rented space, Etienne provided no clear response. The organization’s registered address matches the location of Advance Prep, owned by Emir “Butch” Rahman, who indicated familiarity with Etienne’s football activities but not with The County Buzz. Rahman stated that Etienne consistently pays rent for the shared office and warehouse space.
Title: Uncovering Financial Mismanagement in Nonprofit Football Programs
In a recent interview, Etienne, a key figure behind the operations of APA, vehemently defended the organization’s practices. “Again, we don’t run a small operation. We service our community. I don’t know what else you want me to tell you,” he asserted confidently. However, concerns raised by experts like Robert Nordlander, a former IRS special agent, cast a shadow of doubt over nonprofits, citing the vulnerability to financial abuse, particularly in entities lacking internal controls and independent oversight, such as The County Buzz.
Nordlander’s experience chasing tax evaders and money launderers for over two decades led him to express alarm over the potential for tax fraud within The County Buzz. He emphasized the need to scrutinize the organization’s financial records, hinting at suspicious income sources, possibly tied to football players, and questionable expenses that could hint at personal use rather than legitimate business activities.
Drawing attention to the illicit practice of using nonprofits to cover personal or for-profit expenses, Nordlander underscored the severity of such actions, labeling them as forms of tax evasion and, in some cases, money laundering, especially if funds are acquired through fraudulent means. Etienne adamantly refuted any accusations of engaging in such malpractices, maintaining his stance on the organization’s integrity.
As the interview drew to a close, Etienne shifted the focus back to post-grad football, evidently uncomfortable with the direction the conversation had taken regarding The County Buzz’s financial operations. “It can be suspicious all it wants,” he remarked, dismissing the concerns raised and reiterating his belief in the organization’s compliance with the law.
In light of these revelations, questions surrounding the financial dealings of nonprofit football programs have been brought to the forefront. The intersection of community service and financial transparency remains a critical issue, with implications reaching far beyond the confines of a single organization.
Investigative reporters Kenny Jacoby and Chris Quintana from USA TODAY have been at the forefront of uncovering these discrepancies, shedding light on the intricacies of financial mismanagement within the nonprofit sector. By delving deep into the realms of sports, higher education, and law enforcement, they strive to hold accountable those who exploit the system for personal gain.
Through their investigative prowess, Jacoby and Quintana aim to bring to light the truth behind questionable financial practices, urging stakeholders to uphold the values of integrity and accountability in all their endeavors. Their dedication to uncovering the facts behind the headlines serves as a beacon of hope for those seeking transparency and justice in a world where financial impropriety often goes unchecked.
As the investigation unfolds, the public is left to ponder the fate of ‘post-grad’ football programs and the true destination of the funds that fuel their operations. The path to financial accountability may be fraught with challenges, but with diligent reporting and a commitment to truth, the veil of secrecy shrouding nonprofit organizations may soon be lifted, revealing a new era of
