As expected, Oklahoma State receiver Dez Bryant has opted to leave college and enter the 2010 draft.
“I feel this is the best decision for me,” Bryant said, per Joe Schad of ESPN.com. “It’s what God wants me to do. I’m going to start my training Tuesday in Tampa.”
Actually, we think God prefers things like “obey my commands” and “love one another as you love yourselves.” But if invoking the name of the Most High helps a guy feel better about making a cash grab, that’s fine by us, too.
And as to that “I’m going to start my training Tuesday in Tampa” line, we wonder who he’ll be training with -- and more importantly which agent has ties to the trainer. Agents are not permitted to have contact with underclassmen in early November of their third year out of high school. Routinely, folks with ties to agents have contact with the player instead, paving the way for the agent to officially close the deal once the agent officially is permitted to talk to the player.
Coincidentally (perhaps), Bryant has been suspended for the balance of the 2009 season after lying to the NCAA regarding his relationship with former NFL player and current NFL Network commentator Deion Sanders, who has ties of an unknown degree to agent Eugene Parker.
Coincidentally (perhaps), Parker client Michael Crabtree also was training in Tampa before caving in and signing with the 49ers essentially the same rookie deal in October that he could have signed in July.
Regarding the events that got Bryant banned from his team for the balance of the year, the player has a plan for dealing with the subject during pre-draft interviews.
“When I talk to the NFL I’m going to be truthful with them about what happened,” Bryant said. “It will be what I’m supposed to tell them, which is the truth.”
If Bryant had been able to figure that one out several weeks ago, he’d still be playing college football right now.
Then again, maybe at the time God wanted him to bear false witness.