I'm thinking I would sit out if I were Clowney. He has absolutely nothing to gain and everything to lose by playing. Sit out, he's the sure-fire #1 overall next year. Play next year, and risk an injury, maybe even one like his teammate Lattimore, and not be the #1 overall pick.

The NFL is a business and can conduct itselft however it chooses. And, I can understand their stance on the age/eligibility minimums. But, it doesn't sit right with me morally. If you're old enough to fight for your country, you should be old enough to make a living, right? And, the NFL has had the luxury of a free, no-risk farm system in the NCAA. A system which does little to take care of cases like Lattimore's.

It's a valid discussion.

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@ryanadamdavis

Quinton Coples admitted part of the reason he looked so average during the 2011 college season was he was playing to not get hurt. Wanted to protect his draft stock

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Coming from Coples it sounds identical to my reasons for not playing in the NFL.

Maybe though?

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@ryanadamdavis

If he did I would hope a ex SCar player would chop block him in the NFL. Schools make a commitment to a player and if the kid doesn't honor his side of the agreement then why even hand out a scholarship.

That said he will play and this is a moot point.

I think he should take out an insurance policy and then play. If he gets hurt, he still makes at least $5 million. That's more than enough to live a comfortable life, assuming you don't throw yourself $300,000 birthday parties.

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"I believe there’s merit to the idea that once something in life becomes conventional, it’s no longer the safest path to success." -Matt Waldman
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No way! I can't believe people are actually encouraging this guy to do this.

If I had that kind of talent I'd love suiting up every week and absolutely destroying people. What about his teammates? He can't just leave them high and dry. And also, we saw that taking a year off didn't help out Mike Williams at all. He was as dominant a receiver in college as Clowney is as a DE. You gotta play it out. What makes him so special? I LOVE him as a player but there have been thousands before him who have never taken this stance. Why start now?

Now, if you want to say the rule is screwy, okay, but it's just too bad if you're Clowney. Go out there and be a star. Crack some skulls.

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I don't think I would. You only get to be a college player once (i mean - sort of. You know what I mean). I would soak it up. Even if he gets hurt, with medical advances there are not a whole lot of career ending injuries any more. He is gonna make his money in the NFL one way or another

Pretty much this. What would NFL players think of him once he gets to the NFL if he lets his college team mates down? What will a front office think?

One thing for sure, they would be afraid of giving him a big payday, because if he did it once...

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The were discussing this on the radio this morning and I wanted to call in I was so mad. Maybe it is good for his NFL career if he wusses out and sits for a year, but its not good for his character and I wouldn't draft him, especially in the top-10, if that is what he chose to do. You are a college football player and there are rules....the rules may not make alot of sense to you, but they are the rules you play by because they are the same for everyone no matter how talented. The rule is, you are not eligible to play for the NFL until you are 21.

The rules set obsticles in your way, even if you think those obsticles are pointless. You can't drive until your 16, no matter how good of a driver you may be, you have to wait till your 18 to file your next Microsoft-like patent even if its the best invention ever. Its like I would tell my son, who is really good at math, but hates English: You have to take English, even if you don't care about dead authors and writing, because that is what is required and you will do your best in English because its part of your education, even if you hate it and don't think its neccessary--the rules are that you take English and you might be a better person for it. I felt the same way, but looking back, and I'm glad I was forced to take subjects that I didn't want to take because it made me a better overall thinker and exposed me to things that inderectly affected how I percieved the world. I followed the rules and I'm a better person for it. I'd tell my son and I'd tell Clowney: It doesn't matter how talented you are, or how smart you are, or how much ahead of everyone else you are in a certain skill set---if you don't follow the rules and try your hardest in every obsticle that the rules put in your way--be it taking English classes or playing through your last year of eligilibiilty--you are a quitter if you sit out and you will probably regret taking the easy road down the line. Success and happiness aren't measured by the amount of money you made along the way, but in how content you are that you did everything you could to be the best professionally that you could be.

There is no better education to playing NFL football than to be on a college team and leading your teamates on the feild.

Play. For these reasons:

No contact for a year, is a concern if I was a GM.

And some of his money that he is going to get is in marketing and endorsements. We forget quickly and sitting out will cause a loss in those intial deals as a rookie IMO.

I understand the but what if he gets hurt. He is just as likely to hurt himself in a car wreck or slipping on a banana peel while dorking off in his year off. How many players stay an extra year and how many get hurt? 1 in 100?

With the new CBA, it would seem less likely that someone would sit out. You are not making your big money with the first contract, so draft position is not as crucial as it has been previously. It's that second contract that is key for him.

I would definitely agree that he should take out an insurance policy in case he gets a career ending injury, but that is only good for a career ending injury...he can't play in the NFL ever to cash that in.

I dont believe for one minute any of you saying "no way", wouldn't think it through if in his shoes. Think of it this way; pretend you're discussing it with your wife.

"Honey, if I sit out, I'm guarenteed AT LEAST $10M. But, I can play this season, and if I get injured, that could decrease that guarenteed money. Yeah, I got an insurance policy, but that's only if I never play again...and it's $5M. But, lets say I entirely blow out my knee, that could drop me out of the 1st round, and cost me $7M. Plus, that knee could forever be weak leading to more blowouts, which will prevent me from ever getting a lucrative 2nd contract (which is what the NFL's about)."

It's amazing how people are so quick to tell someone they should risk millions of dollars. Amazing.

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@ryanadamdavis

"Football players play football."

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Because of the insurance policies available, if I were Clowney, I'd play. If insurance wasn't available, I'd still probably play but I'd be extremely cautious with even the smallest injury.

If I were an NFL team and Clowney sat out the entire year, I would knock m-fers down as I rushed to the draft stage to get the pick in. Clowney is the best DE prospect I've ever seen and I would not give a damn if he sat out a season. Clowney will be the first pick in whatever draft he's taken in. Luck last year got $22m/4yrs. Even if you flame out, that money used wisely is enough to take care of the next couple generations of your family, and enough money where if insurance wasn't available, I'd have no problem with him sitting out a season for whatever reason he felt like giving.

If the NFL starts loosening the restrictions on entering the draft in terms of education, the NCAA will go nuts and start working on sabotaging the NFL. It's not going to happen.

He's not guaranteed Jack. There's is very little chance he'd be the 1st overall pick if he sits out or plays anyway. Simply because there's bound to be a good QB option in next year's draft that will take that spot. And as Kearly also pointed out He can take out an insurance policy. It was reported that Matt Leinart did this. If he goes out and dominates he's be a top-5 pick for sure.

Furthermore by sitting out, you'd mean quit the team and work out by himself, right. If that were the case he'd be denying himself the further growth and maturation that he'd get with another year of weight training and playing the game. There is no substitute for experience and if he sits out he'd be forfeiting that 1 year of growth to become a more complete player. Making more of a project than he'd be if he stayed in school.

Play the game. He's unlikely to get an injury like Marcus Lattimore because he isn't a running back. Even if he suffers an ACL, he's probably still a top five pick. He's too good. Take out insurance, get on the field and help your team.

I don't think there's a firm grasp of how that insurance works, obviously.

So, everyone saying "of course he should play" would risk $7M (conservatively) like that? I aint buying it, at all.

I think the systems messed up, FWIW. But don't believe any of you would be so easy with the decision, that's BS.

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@ryanadamdavis

Has there ever been a #1 overall pick that chose to sit out an entire college season?

Why? Andrew Luck had no qualms about getting on with it. Clowney is less of a sure thing to go first overall than Luck was. If Luck is prepared to get on with the job and be easy with the decision, why wouldn't anyone else be?