With the draft 15 days away, there’s another player in an already crowded pool.
Via multiple reports, the NCAA has notified former Iowa defensive lineman Drew Ott that his request for a medical hardship waiver has been denied. It means that Ott won’t get a fifth year of college football, and that he will be eligible for the draft.
Ott suffered a torn ACL last season, ultimately competing in six of the team’s 13 games. This exceeds the NCAA’s 30-percent maximum for obtaining a medical hardship waiver. However, Ott and Iowa tried to argue that Ott participated in limited snaps during those six games.
It didn’t work.
The NFL has confirmed to PFT that Ott will now be eligible for the 2016 draft, giving him limited time to position himself for a spot in one of the seven rounds. Although he participated in medical examinations and team interviews at the Scouting Combine, he’s still only six months away from tearing his ACL.
The first task for Ott will be to find an agent, whose first order of business will be to get the word out on Ott as soon as possible.
Time is of the essence because the NCAA waited too long to make a final decision regarding his status. So, basically, the custodians of college football made up for not paying Ott by screwing him.