Comments on: NFL draft rules a bad deal for Jadeveon Clowney

By: tdk24

tdk24 — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 22:46:48 +0000

Michael Bush broke his leg in his last year and he’s makin’ bucks!

By: florida727

florida727 — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 15:29:18 +0000

Not to worry Chiefs fans. He’ll be your #1 pick in the 2014 draft too

Seriously though, for every one kid like Clowney that gets hurt by this rule, there are probably dozens who benefit from it. I’m not an NFL fan, I prefer the college game, by the fact is: the NFL is a MAN’S game. Some of these kids, as talented as they are, just are not mature enough to take on the rigors of the NFL. Again, Clowney appears to be the/an exception. But in general, the rule probably fulfills its purpose.

Now, if the ‘Ol Ball Coach wants to hold him out of next year’s Florida game, you know, to avoid potential injury before he gets drafted, I’m okay with that.

By: whynotusecommonsense

whynotusecommonsense — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 14:43:13 +0000

This is actually a sad position to take regarding college athletics. I know it’s no longer true given the payday that comes with entering the NFL, but the original purpose of college athletics/scholarships was to provide an avenue to an education. You know education, the primary purpose of college.

It would be great if these kids actually got their degrees considering that the average NFL career is only slightly longer than the time they’ll spend at college.

But then I guess we wouldn’t have those wonderful stories about former athletes that are broke, blaming the sports they played for all their misfortune.

By: jamezz23

jamezz23 — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 10:19:58 +0000

He’s an unbelievable talent but I doubt Jake long or Joe Thomas are loosing any sleep from this kid

By: rangenius

rangenius — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 06:54:16 +0000

Wow a lot of people on here like this rule?
No wonder we are be coming a communist police state. This grown man should be able to earn a living next year in NFL… Or I guess he could go fight in Iraq…

By: ilovefoolsball

ilovefoolsball — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 05:36:18 +0000

The rule is fine. He doesn’t have to do anything that the other thousands of players did.

By: ron69

ron69 — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 04:13:18 +0000

What happens if this kid gets better? he could hurt somebody for real, then he might be the first human being in history not to be allowed to play american football sounds wierd but after watching that hit the rb from Michigan took he got lucky wasn’t hurt bad.

By: denverwally

denverwally — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 04:09:46 +0000

Suggestion for Mr. Clowney – hit the weight room big time. 256 lbs in the NFL means getting steamrolled by pulling guards. But he does look like a hell of a player.

By: em26jamie

em26jamie — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 04:04:55 +0000

That was the only play he made and he was completely unblocked. Even LT said anyone can be a star when no one blocks you. Didn’t change the game one bit, since Michigan blocked the FG. He was completely neutralized by Lewan. He did draw a questionable holding call, but that was it. How he was the player of the game is beyond me. USC QB should have been. At least he could hit an open WR, unlike the Michigan QB.

By: 209erfan

209erfan — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 04:03:36 +0000

One more year of playing in the sec will only make clowney a more dominant and NFL ready prospect… and that’s just downright scary and ridiculous to think about

By: bensstinkyfingers

bensstinkyfingers — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 03:44:03 +0000

First time I had a chance to see this kid was today and wow he looked like a man playing amongst boys. Now I do not feel so bad that my browns are once again rebuilding and will more than likely be in the running for this kidin 2014 draft. Sad but true.

By: vuudu

vuudu — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 03:23:40 +0000

In these times, it is not wise to go for defense with your early picks. Get QB and stud WR and you will get big completions or PIs or whatever they call nowadays…….. defenseless untouchable offensive player.

By: flr29

flr29 — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 03:21:43 +0000

This rule is sad, as is the support for it here. Absent restrictions mandated by law (19 year olds cannot tend bar) in the US an adult should be able to earn a living based on his ability, not artificial, anti-competitive restrictions. Outside of the NFL and NBA, every other top sports league in the world lets the best players play.

The paternalistic attitude people have toward college football and basketball players is unfortunate.

By: tomtravis76

tomtravis76 — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 02:34:47 +0000

The athletes should be getting paid while in College.

Since the rule is 3 years out of HS, then every freshman should be redshirted his first year. First to help the young man adjust to college life. Second to learn the system. And finally the player only puts 2 years of game contact on his body.

By: jamezz23

jamezz23 — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 01:03:00 +0000

Clowney is definitely good and makes just eye poping plays, but he got blocked up good all day by Taylor lewan who is respectfully the best tackle in college. His monster hit was a blown block assignment not by lewan either. When he was 1v1 with lewan I’d say clowney got manhandled for the most part.

By: wethog66

wethog66 — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 01:01:56 +0000

My chosen profession requires a 4 year degree in a specific field. The NFL requires players to be 3 years out of high school. Whats the problem?

By: keepingitrealdumb

keepingitrealdumb — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 00:37:18 +0000

i do not understand how the “risk of injury” argument can have any weight with any thinking person.

this is football .. if you don’t want to get injured then don’t play football. get an office job and sit in a cubicle like i did .. i have never torn an ACL sitting in my cube .. nor any co-worker i ever worked with or heard about.

its like what bill belichick said: “football players play football” .. don’t want to play football cause you might get hurt? then don’t play

By: ghostofgilchrist

ghostofgilchrist — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 00:34:47 +0000

He, and every other college player should be getting paid now.

By: jiggy3198

jiggy3198 — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 00:34:40 +0000

With the way the steelers are headed he can be drafted by them following there 2-14 record and number one overall pick in 2014

By: md228010

md228010 — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 00:32:45 +0000

remember Jonathan Bender… well kobe turned out all right. much better than Kerry Kittles and Erick Dampier who were taken before him that year

By: tigers182

tigers182 — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 00:31:59 +0000

More than any other sport, the NFL needs to let players develop physically to enter the league. Men continue growing until they’re 21-22 years old. Open field tackles in the NFL are like being in minor car accident with no seat belt. And it’s not like he’s losing years of making money. If he last 10 years in the league he can do it from 21-31 just as easy as 20-30.

Everyone thought 19 year old Amobi Okoye was ready and look how that turned out. He couldn’t compete physically, lost confidence, didn’t develop properly and is struggling to stay in the league.

By: christopher525

christopher525 — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 00:30:00 +0000

So, what this means is that my Carolina Panthers need to tank next year…

By: braven4evr

braven4evr — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 00:26:09 +0000

for those of you saying that “he doesn’t have to play” what are the odds that SC doesn’t pull his scholarship “if he doesn’t play?”

By: ijahru

ijahru — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 00:19:58 +0000

He should stay until he graduates. The NFL career is short and doesn’t always pan out due to injuries or a slip in production. With the new rookie salaries he isn’t going to become rich unless he gets to the second contract.

By: houstontexans99

houstontexans99 — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 00:16:54 +0000

Heisman front runner…Ever heard of Johnny Manziel?

By: darknessspreads

darknessspreads — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 00:16:04 +0000

This is a terrible rule, of course – we don’t protect tennis players, golfers, or gymnasts in the same way.

As it is, Clowney should see if he can get a one-year deal in the CFL and make a little money off of his skills rather than the (likely useless) college degree he’s getting now. And yes, I went to college (and graduate school), but you see how much that gets most folks in this economy. Having a trade (welder, plumber) would be better in lots of cases.

It’s terrible that an adult like Clowney is locked out of selling his skills for as high a price as he can negotiate, but there you have it.

By: macker1283

macker1283 — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 00:09:54 +0000

The NFL has this right…obviously. The NBA ruined its college sport (and its own league) by allowing high schoolers to skip college. They have guys at the age of 28 whose careers are basically over because their bodies think they are 45. Ask Jermaine O’Neal or Tracy McGrady about that.

By: otis52gsh

otis52gsh — Tue, 01 Jan 2013 23:50:18 +0000

The rule is a good one. Leave it alone please.

By: EJ

EJ — Tue, 01 Jan 2013 23:40:24 +0000

The rule is a good one. The players that enter the draft as Juniors get into the NFL and blow every dime they earn because they are young and irresponsible. Imagine if they were to let these kids come into the league even earlier? What a mess that would be.

By: hybes1

hybes1 — Tue, 01 Jan 2013 23:39:49 +0000

While the NFL is a grown man’s game, my issue is that in a majority of pro sports, young kids out of high school can become pros but in the NFL and in the NBA . At 18, a kid can become a soldier but in those leagues, there’s roadblocks. Clowney should go to the NFL & get paid plus he’s ready