Jadeveon Clowney: Play or protect his pay?
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| Jadeveon Clowney |
It was said that he should have won the title of National Defensive Player of the year, but the Bronco Nagursky trophy went to Manti T'eo... Yeah...that T'eo. Even with this let down, Clowney is set to become the number one draft pick in the 2014 NFL Draft.
There is a rule with the NFL that players have to be three years post high school before they will become eligible for the NFL Draft. The NBA has a one year rule. Maurice Clarett unsuccessfully challenged this rule years ago.
Tom Sorenson, a columnist with the Charlotte Observer suggest that Clowney should sit out his junior year at USC (that's South Carolina...not Southern Cal). Why? Well, look at what happened to Clowney's teammate, Marcus Lattimore:
Sorrenson and I may be out on this limb alone. I agree with him. Football is an inherently dangerous sport. The more you can preserve your body, the better. Shoot and even in some instances you cannot do that. There was a big hubbub about Ray Lewis and deer antler spray just before the 2013 Super Bowl. When you have a kid who is as talented as Clowney, his future is dependent upon the well-being of his body.As a sophomore, Lattimore shredded his left knee against Mississippi State and as a junior he shredded his right knee against Tennessee. He will not return to South Carolina for his senior season. Lattimore, 21, is going pro.Before the injuries, he was a first-round talent and a joy to watch, a tough runner who always seemed to have the wind at his back. Because of the injuries, he will not be a first-round pick and he might not be drafted. (But if I'm an NFL general manager, I gamble on him.)-- Tom Sorrenson
Shoot, Clowney might be the best college defensive end since my own schoolmate, Julius Peppers. Clowney plays in the hard hitting semi-pro conference called the SEC. So you cannot get on the field and expect people not to thrash you at every given opportunity.
What does Clowney have to lose by sitting out his junior season? Nothing! Who cares if his school gets to a title game? When it is all said and done, the school won't line up to care for him and his family once he has matriculated. There are athletes who struggle after giving up their bodies for their school's prestige and a scholarship.
USC coach, Steve Spurrier is shrugging off any notions of Clowney sitting out his junior year. From USA Today:
"Well, I hope he plays this year, and I certainly believe he should play," South Carolina's coach told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "Now if money was his only goal in life, then he couldn't play. And he might not get into a car before next year's draft, so he wouldn't be in a car wreck and get injured. He would be just very, very careful for a year not to have any kind of injury."Coach Spurrier makes a great point. Clowney could get hurt doing anything. It is an interesting position to be in. What do you think? Would you sit out your junior year if you're faced with Clowney's situation?
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