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.

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You are ignoring that EVERYONE in the country that is draft eligible has the same incentives to leave, yet it looks like 2 year s in a row, LSU will have more kids leave early than any other team. How does this not have anything to do with Miles or the program? He said as much in press conferences last year.

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Your argument would hold more water if LSU wasn't having a ton more leaving early than most schools for the pros. I know LSU is a very talented team, but they aren't that much more talented than many of these other schools that aren't losing 6+ early entrants in back to back years.

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Exactly.

Well said.

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I can understand guys leaving if they are going in the top 3-4 rounds.

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you say this, but the money isn't that much different than a 6th rounder and a 4th rounder anymore

thus the point of the OP

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you say this, but the money isn't that much different than a 6th rounder and a 4th rounder anymore

thus the point of the OP

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Yet, this hasn't seemed to affect 97% of other teams like it is affecting LSU. I don't think people know why it is happening, but to blow it off and say "well it's cause they get the same money as a 4th rounder as they'll get as an undrafted free agent" doesn't hold water when the vast majority of other schools aren't having this drastic of an issue.

I can't blame a couple of the guys, but if someone like Turner leaves, then you have a serious problem that is prevalent.

you say this, but the money isn't that much different than a 6th rounder and a 4th rounder anymore

thus the point of the OP

And Sam Montgomery is out of the league because of his own personal shortcomings. He was at times in his career projected as a top 10 pick then he got lazy, admitted to taking plays off, reported out of shape, and according to the Texans violated team rules.

And don't forget he was one that Moffitt called out on his infamous picture.

They're football players, not Enginners or Teachers or Rocket Scientists. It's all about the money. No incentive to stay at LSU and play for four years.

Maybe, just maybe, if the junior departers saw that there was a strong chance for a National Championship, they'd come back for their senior seasons, but there's no hope for that possibility at LSU and they know it, so they gone.

The only hope for all this to change would be the implimentation of a minor league football sysytem, where you would have the option to play right out of high school. Either play in college for four years or go right to the minors for 3-4 years before moving on to the NFL.