Thoughts on QB prospect sitting out college bowl game?

I’m typically someone who is for a top prospect sitting out of a non NY6 bowl game, but something about a QB deciding to do so rubs me the wrong way.

Sure it’s not a NY6 bowl, but you’re still basically abandoning your 9-3 squad. You are the leader of this team, and are leaving behind teammates that might be playing their last game of football in their lives.

That doesn’t sit right with me.

business decision, makes total sense

I understand your point of view, but I'm fine with it myself.

He has to think about his career, future, and family. He has a wife and kid already and needs to provide for them. There are too many recent examples of a player getting a catastrophic injury in a meaningless bowl game and dropping multiple rounds in the draft as a result, costing them millions of dollars. One exhibition game (the "Camping World Bowl") isn't worth that risk.

I suppose I could see how that's letting down your teammates. On the other hand it would be hard to care about winning for an institution that makes hundreds of millions off your unpaid labor.

p8ryts said:

business decision, makes total sense

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Eh. He must think he’s an Andrew Luck level prospect then.

The guy is maybe a 2nd round pick at this point. He’s no sure fire thing. He actually could use a solid performance at a bowl game.

It’s also worth noting that he has primarily faced Big 12 defenses through his college career. Maybe he’s afraid of getting exposed by a decent defense?

Joey007 said:

Eh. He must think he’s an Andrew Luck level prospect then.

The guy is maybe a 2nd round pick at this point. He’s no sure fire thing. He actually could use a solid performance at a bowl game.

It’s also worth noting that he has primarily faced Big 12 defenses through his college career. Maybe he’s afraid of getting exposed by a decent defense?

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Why risk injury in an absolutely meaningless, made-up bowl game?

This isn't the Rose Bowl, it's the Camping World bowl. All this does is line the pockets of the conferences and the athletic departments, and means absolutely nothing to anybody else.

only an ahole would do this..lack of character, probably bad parents as well

It means he is smart!!

Think of the millions of dollars lost by Maghee or Telvin Smith, or the countless other guys who have had career threatening injuries in a meaningless game, that only helps the schools pocketbook.

I doubt any of the Clemson or Bama guys will sit out the playoff games. That is a decision I would question, but a meaningless bolw game, yup skip it.

Keep in mind these guys are also leaving school, and ridding themselves of the idiot NCAA rules. If you had a shot at a job that could pay you tens of millions of dollars, wouldn’t you want to make sure you ace the interview?

And as a Cuse grad, I also like his decision

The post-season experience might be good "practice" for the NFL. And it would be much more fun than doing all the grueling routines that increase your combine scores. But then again, he's been playing for nothing, so why sacrifice himself further. Either decision on his part wouldn't change my opinion of his character one way or the other. (btw, we may draft him in the 2nd round)

I think it sucks, but it's becoming more common and I expect to see more players sitting out the bowl games going forward. I can't blame the players. They are about to get contracts guaranteeing them millions. Why jeopardize that by risking an injury? Their teammates will understand.

Not the Camping World Bowl...!

Wait, what is that?

Millions of dollars are at stake but he might be letting down some guys from school he'll gradually drift away from over the next 3 years so yeah, this kid is america's greatest villain imo.

I don't blame him but then again who is he?

I am getting older, I never heard of this bowl game.




Go Pats

TommyD4207 said:

Why risk injury in an absolutely meaningless, made-up bowl game?

This isn't the Rose Bowl, it's the Camping World bowl. All this does is line the pockets of the conferences and the athletic departments, and means absolutely nothing to anybody else.

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I just don’t think Grier is the guy to sit out a bowl game. He’s their QB, and his draft stock is no safe bet as it is. I’d say otherwise if he was Andrew Luck coming out, but he isn’t Luck. He has a lot to prove to scouts.

Really the bowl game in specific isn’t the point here. I’m someone who wishes they’d go back to having fewer bowl games. A lot of these games ARE money grabs.

A lot of these players have mitigated their risk by purchasing disability/loss of draft value insurance that pays out if there is a catastrophic injury and as the second link notes, the schools can pay for it....

https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/leonard-fournettes-10m-policies-and-the-unregulated-world-of-player-protection/

Jaylon Smith's insurance payout could lead to more players skipping bowl games

Joey007 said:

I just don’t think Grier is the guy to sit out a bowl game. He’s their QB, and his draft stock is no safe bet as it is. I’d say otherwise if he was Andrew Luck coming out, but he isn’t Luck. He has a lot to prove to scouts.

Really the bowl game in specific isn’t the point here. I’m someone who wishes they’d go back to having fewer bowl games. A lot of these games ARE money grabs.

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I guess you’d have to weigh the risk of injury against needing one more football game to prove yourself to scouts. I’d say that the scouts have enough game film on him at this point and any more input they get will be from the combine and other workouts.

To your Andrew Luck point, if you think he’s gonna be a 2-3 round pick, an injury would be catastrophic and might cause him to go to round 5-7 or out of the draft entirely. If he were Luck (ie consensus #1 overall), an injury might be acceptable to some teams who would still consider drafting him in the first round and have him redshirt a year.

fxmallon said:

The post-season experience might be good "practice" for the NFL. And it would be much more fun than doing all the grueling routines that increase your combine scores. But then again, he's been playing for nothing, so why sacrifice himself further. Either decision on his part wouldn't change my opinion of his character one way or the other. (btw, we may draft him in the 2nd round)

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It would be nuts if we drafted him as Brady’s successor, and then be able to go back and view this thread with that perspective.

Tremendous opportunity for Jack Allison .........

JayNM said:

Not the Camping World Bowl...!

Wait, what is that?

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In all seriousness, this.

There are now 40 bowl games. To fill all 80 slots with semi-marketable teams, the NCAA had to water down the eligibility criteria to allow in teams with losing records. It would be one thing if something were at stake in this game, like conference title. I doubt the player would let his teammates down in that situation. But this is just some random game that exists because there's a sponsor for it, "bowl" or not.