OT: Interesting Article on Jadeveon Clowney

I brought more tires for the fire.  But in all seriousness I thinkthat in high-profile, high-visibility situations like this it may seem like this is what college football "has come to", but when you think about the hundreds of men on 120 FBS teams, I'd say this is an exception and not a rule. 

Firstly, I don't understand why people think Clowney should peace out...mostly because I don't think he can. You need three years of college, last I heard.

Lots of players take off for the NFL after three years. See, not everyone comes from a decent background. Guaranteed money is better than another year of possibly getting hurt with NO money when you're thinking about your family.

Also, very few college football players make it to the NFL, so you're basically complaining about a very small minority of players who forego their senior year of eligibility. This isn't exactly a recent trend; I'm not sure why you think it is.

a year off, it is highly unlikely he would go #1 (maybe not even top 10).  Just my opinion, but I think NFL teams are rather stodgy and archaic with their thinking, especially when risk is involved. They would view the year off as a humongous risk, and I think it would hurt him.

Just my $0.02

So a religion thread, a thread reminding us of Saturday's loss and now a thread about the guy who decapitated VC. What a wonderful fucking day on MGB.

I think it's important to remember that kids like Clowney don't come around too often, and for players of that level, college is merely a stepping stone. That's not to say that college football doesn't matter to them, but it is merely a stepping stone for these guys.



It's also important to remember that there are 84 other scholarship players and numerous walk-ons on every team and for a majority of these guys, playing for the team and for championships are very important, because come their senior year, it's likely to be the finally time they play the game they love.

It's tough because the NFL has become a multi billion dollar organization. It seems everyone wants a cut from players, owners, agents, television, gamblers, retailers, big business sponsors & former players via the court. It will only get worse until the game implodes on itself.



That being said most of the players are of that gladiator mind set and play because that is what they are meant to do. Anyone who would sit out is missing that gene and probably isn't the player they are making them out to be.

the rule says three years after your graduating class, not three years of risking your health for no legal personal financial gain. i say go for it, let the market determine your value rather than the ncaa and see what happens. it worked out for Robert Smith, not so well for Clarett.

Just watched 'Broke' last night on the WWL. The trends predict he won't have any money in 10 years. He'd be better off getting a degree in the long term but 1st pick money is difficult to pass up. Hoping he gets good advice on how to handle the cash.

Two issues here -- (1) going to NFL prior to graduation, and (2) foregoing junior year and using time to train for draft.

As for (1) ... I would like to avoid judging players who do that.  Lots of considerations come into play, and if they feel it's the right thing for them, then it's the right thing for them.**

As for (2) ... The consideration is risk of injury during year vs. additional skills and development to assure higher draft spot.  There is insurance one can get in the event of injury (Taylor Lewan will no doubt have that), but the coverage can't be anywhere near what a high-first-round pick would get.  Tough call, to be sure.

What comes to my mind is something purely mathematical ...and I don't know if statistics exist for this.  Question -- is the DE position one more or less prone to injury than other positions?  Anything is possible, of course ... but it strikes me DEs are generally less prone than, say, interior linemen or running backs.

** That said, if one chooses to leave early and things don't pan out for them (i.e., Warren Donovan) then my sympathies do not flow easily.  Make bed, lie in bed, etc.

If it seems like college is a stepping stone, that's because it is.  For students and for student-athletes alike.  If someone offered riches and respect and a career to 20 year old me, I would left college at a speed that would have bent the laws of physics.  If Clowney decides next year that his training is complete, he should leave.  None of us fans should allow ourselves to get terribly emotional about this. 

The argument that players no longer play for "love" of the game assumes that there was ever a period of time in recent history during which elite college players played for love of the game.  The few conversations that I've had with former players suggest that is that this is nothing more than another crappy sports fan/sports media trope--part of the myth of sports culture.   Elite college players and pro players (in football, at least) generally don't "love" the game.  At best, they view the game as a career--i.e., a potential and/or actual source of income, respect, and life enrichment.  At worst, they deeply resent the game that provides income at the cost of their mental and physical well being. 

What's the point of college?  To prepare you for your career.  If Clowney has an opportunity to go #1 overall, then college has prepared him for his career as completely as possible.  Given that he plays a sport in which his career can end on one freak play, it would be an incredibly stupid move to pass up $30 million guaranteed just to demonstrate his love for his school.  Even if he doesn't get hurt, but his performance slides a little and he goes 10th overall, then he would essentially have paid $15 million for the opportunity to play one more year in college.

Besides the risk, there is also the matter that under the new rookie salary scale, top NFL players don't get paid their market value until their 5th or 6th season, when they sign their first free agent contract.  As a DE, Clowney probably won't be productive past age 33 or so, and since he's going to be a 1st round pick, he will have to sign a 5-year rookie contract.  If he comes out after his junior season he will be 21, which means he will only have 7 years (ages 27-33) to get paid at a top level.  If he stays for his senior season, he will get drafted at age 22, and will shorten his paid career by a year - effectively giving up 10-15% of his career earnings for the chance to play another year in college.

Any way you slice it, coming back to college is incredibly costly for a top NFL prospect.  There's no "right" or "wrong" decision here; it depends on the kid's priorities.  But I think the vast majority of us would take the money and go to the NFL.

While you certainly wouldn't hold a kid back you can make the argument that kids at schools like UM or ND relish the opportunity and are not looking for the quick strike.  See Lewan, Floyd, Te'o.  All kids who could have gone after year 3, but chose to come back.

*too critical OF me

I am sure that Clowney will be drafted very high. If the current prediction is number 1 in next year's draft, I would reluctantly support his training for the draft and being done now.

Having said that, another option would be to insure himself in the case of injury. Playing another year will keep him in shape and give him full access to the SC S&C facilities, etc. If he is insured for approximately the amount of income he could expect as a number 1 draft pick, this would take away the financial motivation to quit now, and still protect his family's financial welfare.

Another factor is how much he enjoys (or doesn't enjoy) going to school at South Carolina. If he is only in college to get to the NFL, what's the point? There are some individuals (i.e., Jake Long, or Taylor Lewan) who actually enjoy being in school, and the camaraderie of the game. For others, it is just a job, and a means to an end. This is true in every field of life. I think that one of the things making Denard so enjoyable was his joy of life, regardless of what he does as a "professional."

He is like the Lebron James, Kevin Garnett case.  Clowney looked like an NFL player coming out of high school and teams would have drafted him in the first round then if they had the chance.

I think he will come back and play his junior season, because it would look bad to take a year off, but in reality he is being held back by a rule that is terrible for him.

Consider if med or law school allowed students to enroll without graduating.  If a junior in undergrad got accepted to one of those school, why wouldn't he take it?  Of course, senior year is amazing and college is great but if a kid decides to go that route (which is much less lucrative than being the #1 pick in fball) then why would it seem like a bad decision?