Response to Should College Football Players Sit Out Bowl Games?

Recently, one of the writers here at Tailgate Sports, Domenic Buccini, wrote a post saying that college football players shouldn’t sit out their respective bowl games.  Personally, I disagree with his perspective on a player’s choice to play a bowl game or not.  First of all, all it takes is one injury and your career is gone.  College players who have serious draft potential deserve the right to choose to sit out their bowl games.  In fact, it is in their best interest for them to sit these bowl games out. One notable example of how playing in a bowl game can hurt a player’s NFL future is Jaylen Smith’s devastating injury.  Last year in the Fiesta Bowl, Jaylen Smith came down wrong on his knee during a play and ended up tearing his ACL and LCL as well as suffering from nerve damage. This injury combination is deadly for draft potential in the NFL. Due to all of the lateral movements required to play, especially for a linebacker such as Jaylen Smith, an injury like the one he endured can drastically alter, or even end, a player’s career. Despite this injury, Jaylen Smith still went in the second round, but he was originally a top five first round candidate. If this same injury happened to a different player, playing in a less significant bowl game, the chances of that player getting drafted into the NFL would be practically impossible. Dropping to just the second round still might not sound that bad for Jaylen Smith, but this meant about a 15 million dollar loss in his contract.   

Throughout the season, these athletes are playing for scouts to take notice of them and solidify a position in the NFL.  Realistically, if they haven’t gained scouts’ attention yet, one bowl game won’t be the deciding factor. Excluding a few bowl games such as the Rose, Orange, and Sugar, these bowl games aren’t really as significant as they might seem.  There are countless irrelevant Bowl games every year, like the Popeyes Bahamas Bowl, Hawai’i Bowl and the TaxSlayer Bowl. Sure the players want to give their team their all and play every game, but sometimes they have to weigh their options.  Do they want to jeopardize millions of dollars and a chance to play on the biggest platform of the sport you’ve dedicated your life to?  The answer for most players would be no.  

Understandably, these athletes will face scrutiny from players, coaches, and fans, but if they’re going to let this rattle them, then the NFL will be a rude awakening.  Not to mention these criticisms shouldn’t get to the players because, as a star player, the NCAA often screws over their athletes.  From millions of dollars in merchandise, ticket sales, and licensing, these players get paid nothing to fill the pockets of their universities.  These athletes owe their schools NOTHING, and I guarantee that once they make it big they won’t be looking back at that one bowl game wishing they had played.  If anything, if they get hurt or blow their draft potential they will look back at that game wishing they hadn’t played.  Regardless, it’s the athlete’s decision, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.     

Written by Brett Clark