Players should earn degree
before NFL
One of the big questions on college football fans’
minds this time of year is "Who’s going to go pro?"
Seniors such as Purdue quarterback Drew Brees and
Mississippi running back Deuce McAllister have exhausted their eligibility.
They are now looking ahead to the NFL Draft, which takes place in mid-April.
Underclassmen across the nation are looking forward
to next season to better personal bests and achieve team goals.
For the most part, that is.
Some, however, decide to forgo the rest of their
eligibility and declare early for the NFL draft.
Purdue tight end Tim Stratton could be one of those
players. He will announce his intentions today. Before the Rose Bowl,
the junior said he would go early if he were projected as second- to
fourth round picks by NFL scouts.
If Stratton decides to go pro early, he won't be
the first. More than 20 other big-name players have already decided
that the NFL is the place to be.
Virginia Tech sophomore quarterback Michael Vick
is expected to announce today that he’s skipping his last two seasons
with the Hokies. Other notables include Georgia quarterback Quincy Carter,
Wisconsin running back Michael Bennett and Michigan wide receiver David
Terrell.
The list will be complete soon because Friday is
the deadline for underclassmen to declare for the NFL draft.
Based on the number of players in the respective
leagues, the percentage of basketball players who leave early for the
NBA or skip college all together to enter the pros is much greater than
the percentage of football players who enter the NFL early. But football
is a different sport than basketball.
My advice to those players who are considering
declaring early: stay in school.
In school, you are getting a free education. As
a scholarship player, you can enjoy the life of a college student and
improve your individual skills at no financial burden to yourself or
your family.
There’s time in the next year or two to enter
the real world and make money.
It may be hard to turn down a guaranteed, lucrative
contract, however.
Coach Joe Tiller’s philosophy is that no player
should leave early unless he is a guaranteed first round draft pick.
Some argue that if a player stays in college, he
has a chance of getting hurt and thus never making it to the pros.
But, there’s also a chance he might get hurt
in the NFL where for the most part, opposing players are bigger, stronger
and faster than in college.
If you get hurt your first year in the pros, will
there be enough money to support you and your family for the rest of
your life?
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