Thoughts on players skipping College bowl games for NFL draft

[Dale Moser]

We are talking about NFL quality players here. I think the way the use each other is pretty equal. How much money are these schools making off these players and how much do they pay the player.

Should college even be the appropriate avenue for a football player? Why do they need to worry about some crap degree when their real motivation is to play football.


I would 100% sit out unless playing for the national title.

For the majority of college football players, football is a means to to earn the degree. It's a very small % that gets to play NFL ball.


The NFL could end college football as we know it with the stroke of a pen if they wanted to. The NCAA might do well to remember that.

[JTCowpoke]

For those of you who say "unless they are playing for a national title". Why does a national title matter? If they get hurt in that game they will still lose millions.

[Abcdj]

I say fork em and feed em fish heads!! The only reason they are getting drafted is because the coaches and schools invested A LOT of time and money recruiting, educating, pampering, strengthening, conditioning and coaching them. Most importantly teaching them discipline and how hard they have to work both physically and more important mentally to get them where they want to be. Very small % go on to pro ball. 100% will get jobs and contribute to society. These are the successful ones you will work with everyday at your work place.
They didn't NOT want to play the 3rd game of their junior year, or the bowl game of their sophomore year did they.. In fact they probably were gripping and complaining about not playing enough.
It would be like coaches not coaching bowl games because it will hurt their chances to get other jobs!
Most of this advise is coming from handlers who have been talking to agents who have been talking to moms and dads .... blah blah blah!
JUST PLAY! PLAYERS PLAY!
It's just another soft turn in a very rough sport that is getting softer and softer.

[Landrover]

If they went to class and paid attention in Economics there is only one choice.

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Touche '...[emoji108]....supposedly the majority of non athletic students hope their degree leads to a paying opportunity that exceeds what they could do without it. NCAA football is the farm system for the NFL.......e all know that right? I can tell u the high profile student athletes know it. Oh, the handful that end up with a NFL successful career tend to give back to those universities in huge dollar amounts. Probably enough to cover 53 scholarships for 10 years......lol!! Win - Win for all involved!!![emoji458][emoji383][emoji6]

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[mjhaverkamp]

I think the kids that are going to go high in the draft should make their own decision whether or not to play, I know if I was a first rounder and my team was playing in the whataburger bowl I would probably skip it. I think Jaylon Smith had a fairly sizable insurance policy in place before he played in the meaningless bowl game.

[Dave]

Are any of the first rounders going to forgo the playoff bowls or a chance at playing for a national championship?

The bowl system is in bad shape and players not wanting to play in it is another symptom. Make the bowls more enticing to the players and they will hang around.

[mjhaverkamp]

Are any of the first rounders going to forgo the playoff bowls or a chance at playing for a national championship?

The bowl system is in bad shape and players not wanting to play in it is another symptom. Make the bowls more enticing to the players and they will hang around.

I doubt any of them in the BCS championship games will sit out.

[Smart]

I doubt any of them in the BCS championship games will sit out.

It would be hard to since there are no BCS championship games being played....

[diamond10x]

Just my take on this, was a college athlete first couple years of school...

1. You’re playing cause you love the game, why would you opt to sit out when you could be gone tomorrow? The future is never certain.
2. You’re playing for the school who is giving you a free education, it’s your job to perform and show up everyday to earn that pay (scholarship). When you decide to sit out of work you get fired.
3. What’s so different about one last game you want to sit out for fear of injury? If you’re scared of injury why didn’t you just sit out the whole season to keep from being injured?
4. If you sit out a bowl game cause of your projected “future” that could potentially have monetary loss for your school down the road, you should have to payback your scholarship.
5. I could never do this to any of my teammates and I expect the same in return, it’s a team sport, you got there as a team, no reason there should be an option of leaving the team out to dry for selfish reasons.

[Bud]

I am really discouraged by most of these answers. I guess I am sort of "old school" I played college ball. I was never considered a draft prospect. I wouldn't have had it in me to bail on my team and my school. They have insurance policies against career ending injuries. I believe this is a reflection of our society more than anything. Just my opinion, doesn't have to be yours. Have a nice day.

Bud

[FCoDxDart]

I think it's rather comical to see the reactions of people on here who say they would play instead of sit and none of them have been in that situation where they could potentially be earning millions. Whether it's selfish of the player or not. If my teammate/friend had a good chance at being drafted for big bucks I wouldn't want him to play unless he wanted to.

There are some pretty proud people in this thread who think pretty highly of themselves apparently and are a little bit lost on the fact that it is just a game played for your enjoyment. Get down off your high horse and realize these kids are playing because they love the game but don't want to take a chance at destroying their career on a game that means nothing. Anybody who's smart knows how to determine risk vs. reward and if the balance isn't right then there is no point in doing it.

Another reason why it's good players sit out is it gives others a chance to play. If there is one bowl game left and your star running back is going to be drafted next year, he's not doing the team any good and he sure as hell isn't doing himself any good. Let your second string go and get some game time. It will be better for him and your team.

They don't have multi-million dollar insurance policies for players who hurt themselves.

[.270]

After seeing Willis Mcgahee tear his knee up in the Fiesta Bowl, I don't fault a player for skipping a bowl game. He was never the same player, even when he got to the NFL.

[gingib]

I would be ******. They will regret it as its the game of their lives

[glen]

If my kid was in this position he could make his own decision- I would give him advice to sit and watch the game with me on the couch. The kids that are top 20 prospects for the NFL have been working towards it all their lives. All will also be wealthy if they are healthy. IF.

If someone told me I was guaranteed multi millions if I showed up in 2 months 100% healthy I think I would spend the 2 months making sure I took care of my lifelong investment

[Jason]

My son dreams of a D1 scholarship. He knows the odds are against him, and ever longer odds he makes the NFL. That being said, I'd lock him up under gunpoint if I had to in order to keep him out of a bowl game if he was a lock for being drafted. No way I'd let him risk millions for a "for pride" game.

I am a "team guy" and have raised him to be a "team guy," I would hope the rest of the team would support him in understanding that at that level, it's now more business than team.