Should College Football Players Sit Out Bowl Games?

I understand why most of the players like Leonard Fournette and Christian McCaffrey are sitting out their respective bowl games. Since they are almost guaranteed to be first or second round draft picks in this upcoming draft, they have to protect themselves from injury and insure that they have a future in the NFL. But even late round draft picks like Shock Linwood, who aren’t as likely to get drafted, are also sitting out.  Personally, I don’t think players should sit out their bowl games.  Not only can it hurt their future in the NFL, but it can even be disrespectful towards their school.

A common reason why college football players will sit out a bowl game is because they don’t want to risk getting injured.  I understand these players are so close to starting the draft process and possibility that they might suffer a serious injury, which would hurt their draft bid, is something that is constantly in their minds.  The fact is, these players could have gotten hurt in week 1 or week 5.  You can never truly know when an injury will come and that can be the most scary part to someone.  Because of this, I can at least understand why an athlete might consider to opt out of their upcoming bowl game.

However, it can also seem pretty selfish when a player sits out of their bowl game only because they don’t want to get hurt. A college football player is also a student athlete, and by attending their school, that player represents their university both on and off the field. The player gets an education for free, or close to free, from one of the top schools in the country for simply playing football at an elite level. If a student athlete skips the bowl game then they’re basically telling the university “I don’t care about the opportunities you have given me”.

This is making those who skip the bowl games look selfish and ignorant, as they’re essentially telling all of their teammates about how they only care about the money and potential future they have in the NFL.  What some of these players don’t realize is that skipping these bowl games could actually hurt their futures in football.  Some players may think that their resume up until the bowl game is enough to earn a roster spot, however, playing in the bowl game can not only further help their resume, but shows their dedication to their team.  Plus, it is a great way for a player to end their collegiate career before a potential professional career in the NFL.  Ezekiel Elliott of the Dallas Cowboys even put in his own opinion by tweeting out how he wishes he could play in another college bowl game. This was met with a significant amount of criticism, as people said Elliott played in the National Championship, which is far more meaningful than some of the bowl games that players have skipped this year. However, what critics are missing is that this tweet is just showing the passion that some have towards the game versus others who are more worried about the money aspect of it.

At the end of the day, scouts want to see these players’ abilities. It doesn’t solely come down to the stats on paper, these scouts want to see technique, speed, athleticism, and many other traits. The running back for Baylor, Shock Linwood, is sitting out to prepare for the draft.  After Linwood made this decision, some notable scouts went on to say that skipping the bowl game greatly increased Linwood’s chances of going undrafted.  That’s why players should go out there and play in their bowl games.  By playing one final game, they’re not only taking the field for their schools one last time, but they’re also helping their chances of getting drafted, rather than hurting it. Players alike always want to make a name for themselves but they can’t do this if they aren’t playing, and that’s why I believe players shouldn’t sit out of bowl games, but instead go shine on the football field.

Written by Domenic Buccini