upstater1

His eligibility expired at Texas A&M. He had no choice. The school was barred from extending his scholarship by rules. That being said, if you only get 3 years of credits, it shouldn't be that hard to make them up in the offseason, and he's had plenty of those. One thing though: the Patriots play late into the season, so there probably hasn't been much time.

bigdgp

Hopefully one of the classes he's taking is a finance class so he can learn the time value of money. Giving up $250K is ludicrous in exchange for getting his degree now. Especially given that it's "Agricultural Leadership". If he's managing a farming collective after his he retires I'll apologize for ever doubting him.

In the moment it looks like a veteran who doesn't seem committed to the offseason...

robertweathers

I applaud Warren's commitment to higher education. However...

-In his current job, his degree will not provide a positive impact on his performance. My assumption is that he will still work out and prepare for the season while taking courses.

-He will be in his early/mid 30's when he retires. He will have plenty of time to complete his degree then.

-Whatever money he received contractually (below market deal, etc.) is irrelevent to his/current situation.



My .02$

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"If a player has talent and doesn't succeed, that means that they either don't want to be successful or I have failed as a coach." - Bill Belichick

spacecrime

You are correct ONLY if money is the most important thing in your life. He's giving up $250,000 to earn a degree that will allow him to work and make maybe $100,000 in 2011 IF there is a lockout.

Money-wise, you are 100% correct. It doesn't make sense when your goal is to collect all the money you can.

But Warren is one of the smart ones, who doe not value money over all else.

For many, money is not the end-all way to keep score, but simply a means to get what you want. He went for an early extension at less money because he wanted to secure his future. Good for him. Now he is going after what he wants - the credits to be able to work with students next year - rather than chasing after every nickle he can get.

I can understand exactly where he is, and I applaud him.

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“When we look at the board, based on everything we want in a football player at that particular time, we evaluate them and take the player that fits best for our football team. That’s what we always do, and I think the last nine years we’ve put a pretty competitive team out there on the field every year. I think that’s how you do it – you get good football players. Sometimes they are not always at the No. 1 position, but I don’t think you pass up good football players to get the guys who aren’t as good just because they’re at a position that somebody feels you need.”
BB on his draft philosophy, April 2010

Patsrock

I applaud him 100%.

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reamer

I just finished reading the comments at ESPN and then the posts in this thread. I have to say, I'm a little perturbed that so many people are upset at what Ty's doing. He wants to spend time with his kids and get more involved in his community. How are those bad things? Additionally, how do they impinge on his job when the workouts are voluntary? He's working out and keeping himself in shape, so I don't see this as a commitment issue at all.

Some have mentioned that the degree itself is a flimsy excuse for an academic pursuit, and he should head in a different direction. I disagree. Agriculture is changing rapidly; people are finally understanding again how to use sustainable practices, and in a place like Texas, with its heat and lack of rain, knowing how to care for the land is incredibly valuable. Besides, this goes far beyond money.

And to all the people who say he could do this in five years: 1) his children will be older then, and he wants to spend time with them and set a proper precedent while they're young. 2) He wants to get involved in his community, which takes time more than anything, and thus he has to begin working on this now, rather than later. 3) What if he has a freak accident and concussions hinder his ability to learn? It's a lot to risk, getting a degree later in life, especially when the average lifespan for a football player is drastically less than the rest of the population (by decades, by the way). To be crass, he's already middle-aged, and time is now working against him.

4) The degree isn't just about the paper, it's also about the knowledge and information he gains from it. Perhaps he really finds agriculture fascinating, like I do, and wants to learn more about it and put that knowledge to use while planning for the future. It's possible he could miss out on opportunities in the next half decade because he lacks information. 5) He mentioned he wants to teach, eventually, which will probably require a master's degree. Why wait five years and then go through two degrees back to back, when you can get a jump on things now?

Ty Warren, I salute you.

tanked_as_usual

that's ok.....most of the people chiding him will be gone when the team stinks

patchick

Here, at least, the strong majority of people have applauded Warren for doing something smart for his long-term future. Whether the team should reward him for doing something smart for himself is another question.

JMarr

Excellent post. I agree. And it's not like Texas A&M is just "any other university" for the degree he wants to pursue--it is only probably the highest-rated, most cutting edge university in the world when it comes to agricultural practices and food production technologies.

MoLewisrocks

Um...because an orgznization has already invested tens of millions in you as a football player and team leader including pre paying you $14M up front on your 2007 extension that runs from 2009-2013? Ty is carrying the 5th highest cap hit on the team this season. He will be 4th once AD departs. He and Wilfork have pre season work to do in that locker room that goes beyond physical conditioning and showing up in shape. They are the championship battle tested veteran leaders of a young defense in transition. From those to whom much has been given, much is expected...and not just on the field.