re: The real reason why players are leaving early

Here's the reality that some folks fail to grasp.


Every single person that signs an athletic scholarship to play football for LSU has aspirations of playing professional football. Every. Single. One. Outwardly and publicly, the current college football system, at least in the Southeastern Conference, is billed as a means for kids to obtain a college education without paying tuition. Instead, they play football. Hence, the term athletic scholarship. In reality, that same system is nothing more than an NFL proving ground. As such, when these kids have THE CHANCE to turn pro, the vast majority do just that.

A very small percentage that have that chance stay in school to either earn their degree, compete for a championship the next year, or both, but that percentage is tiny. When ALL of your players have professional football aspirations, and very few of them think a college degree, a SHOT at a college championship, or a combo of the two is worth more than a year's salary as an NFL player, the result is continued mass exodus.

Who can blame them? Most 7 year old kids in the south dreamed of playing professional football. When that same kid is 20 or 21, and someone says to them "all you have to do is declare it", seriously, who can blame them?

I don't. This will continue to happen. The reason it happens at LSU more than most other programs, in my opinion, is because we've been very fortunate in terms of signing pro type talent, and developing it such that they are NFL ready. Losing players is a product of the success of the program.