Georgia governor Nathan Deal signs 'Todd Gurley bill' into law

Georgia governor Nathan Deal signed what's been nicknamed the 'Todd Gurley bill' into law Thursday, according to The Associated Press.

Deal enacted a bill that would make it punishable for up to a year in prison for someone to entice student athletes to circumvent NCAA rules in exchange for money.

Gurley was suspended four games while at Georgia for accepting money in exchange for autographs.

The 20-year-old declared for the 2015 NFL Draft after his junior season and was selected 10th overall by the St. Louis Rams.

"We plugged it into a law about alumni being overzealous," Rep. Barry Fleming said via The Associated Press. "Now it's a misdemeanor of a high and aggravated nature. It can be up to a year in jail and a $5,000 fine.

"On the civil side, the university can sue the person who does this for any damages sustained, like losing a TV contract, not going to bowl games."

Gurley's name still holds plenty of cache in the college football world as he was one of the favorites to capture the Heisman Trophy before the suspension and a subsequent season-ending ACL injury. In his final collegiate campaign, Gurley rushed for 911 yards and nine touchdowns on a 7.4 yards-per-carry average.