Last week was the NFL Draft and it brought to my attention where certain players were drafted who sat out of bowl games as opposed to players who played in their team's bowl game and got hurt.
It's a difficult decision to make and there is no right or wrong answer. It's up to each individual to make their own choice. LSU's Leonard Fournette, Stanford's Christian McCaffery, and Michigan's Jabrill Peppers all decided to forego their school's bowl games and each were rewarded by being drafted in the first round. Fournette was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars, McCaffery was picked by the Carolina Panthers, and Peppers was taken by the Cleveland Browns. Their decision paid off.
On the flip side, take Michigan TE Jake Butt. He played in the Orange Bowl against Florida State and suffered a serious injury in his final collegiate game. It was a torn ACL for his efforts. Maybe he wouldn't have been a first round pick anyway, but he definitely wouldn't have slid all the way to the fifth round where he was ultimately selected by the Denver Broncos. His decision cost himself a few dollars and probably a couple of rounds of draft position.
The year prior, Notre Dame LB Jaylon Smith severely injured his knee in the Fiesta Bowl. He was projected to be a top pick in the first round. However, following the injury, the captain of the Fighting Irish's defense slipped into the second round where he was taken by the Dallas Cowboys. Smith missed his entire rookie season and his knee is no guarantee to ever get back to 100 percent. For what it's worth, Smith has said that if he could go back, he would decide to play in the Fiesta Bowl again.
It's a polarizing issue. On one hand, you can decide to sit out and keep yourself healthy for the biggest pay day of your life, but you would be turning your back on your school and your teammates. You would be looking out for yourself over trying to win a Bowl game for your school and your other teammates who will likely never play football again.
Or, you can play in the Bowl game for your school, the one that gave you an opportunity to play the game you love on a national stage one last time. But, you will be risking injury, a large amount of money and your draft stock for arguably a meaningless Bowl game.
It's a tough decision to make and I understand both sides. I would lean in favor of players playing in the Bowl games. Your college recruited you out of high school, offered you a full scholarship and allowed you to play football on national television for millions of people. They allowed you to be a star on campus and the opportunity to be scouted for the NFL. But before you go, you have one last responsibility. Put on the crimson and white, scarlet and gray, maize and blue, or whatever your school's colors are one last time to try to bring them a Bowl championship. If you get injured, it's part of the game and you know what you signed up for. After your college career is over, then you can start planning for the NFL.
