Why Can't Freshmen and Sophomores Declare For The NFL Draft?

[TexanFan4Life]

I don't buy into all the stuff about a 19 year old not being able to take the physical beating that being in the NFL so early would bring. I see no difference in a 19 year old's body and a 22 year old's body, in terms of being able to take the punishment.

Then, of course, you get into the whole debate about former NFL players who are now having to deal with brain and spinal injuries from taking too many blows to the head while playing football etc etc.

Does 3 years really make a big difference?

[wildstangs]

Ask Maurice Clarrett.

[Old Tiger]

19 year old kid who isn't fully developed going up against 28-29 year old men which year around work out and develope their techniques and strenght for their position.


Kids don't have the mental capacity or physicality to make that jump to the top level of competition like that.

[TexanFan4Life]

Originally posted by Go Blue
19 year old kid who isn't fully developed going up against 28-29 year old men which year around work out and develope their techniques and strenght for their position.


Kids don't have the mental capacity or physicality to make that jump to the top level of competition like that.

A kid that's been in college for 2 years can't make it in the NFL, but a kid who's been in college for 3 years can? Nah, I don't buy that.

[lakers]

I believe it is a pretty big difference...

More on mental maturity as well as physical...

[Emerson1]

Yes. Even the best outgoing seniors to the NFL have a hard time getting on the field. Good luck with a freshman going from running over 6' 190lb linebackers and trying to run over Ray Lewis or Brian Urlacher

[TexanFan4Life]

Originally posted by Emerson1
Yes. Even the best outgoing seniors to the NFL have a hard time getting on the field. Good luck with a freshman going from running over 6' 190lb linebackers and trying to run over Ray Lewis or Brian Urlacher

6' 190 pound LBs? Are we at Texas Lutheran or something?

I'm talking about guys like Michael Crabtree of Texas Tech or Darius Heyward-Bey of Maryland.

[Emerson1]

Originally posted by TexanFan4Life
A kid that's been in college for 2 years can't make it in the NFL, but a kid who's been in college for 3 years can? Nah, I don't buy that.
Well then you can say what is the difference between 2 years and 1 year, and 1 year and no years.

[kepdawg]

Why even go to college? Just go straight from high school!

[Emerson1]

Originally posted by kepdawg
Why even go to college? Just go straight from high school!
That is what I thought he was talking about

[TexanFan4Life]

Originally posted by Emerson1
Well then you can say what is the difference between 2 years and 1 year, and 1 year and no years.

No you can't. I think at least 1 year of college football is necessary to be able to adjust your game and deal with different aspects of the game, from a psychological standpoint.

Same thing can be said about NBA players..but they only have to be out of HS ball for 1 year before declaring for the NBA Draft.

[Old Tiger]

Basketball is different than football.

[TexanFan4Life]

Originally posted by Go Blue
Basketball is different than football.

Exactly. Physically, it's different.

Mentally...there's really no difference.

I think a 19 or 20 year old COULD take the physical nature of the NFL on a day to day basis.

[Old Tiger]

Originally posted by TexanFan4Life
Exactly. Physically, it's different.

Mentally...there's really no difference.

I think a 19 or 20 year old COULD take the physical nature of the NFL on a day to day basis.


Here is a great article about Jon Beck out of BYU who is 25

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4188/is_20070705/ai_n19360436

[kepdawg]

I think Will Clay could play in the NFL right now!

[TexanFan4Life]

Originally posted by Go Blue
Here is a great article about Jon Beck out of BYU who is 25

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4188/is_20070705/ai_n19360436

That's a good article I hadn't read before.

I suppose each person would handle it differently. My guess is the NFL has the current rule in place to protect itself from the occasional few underclassmen that might have the same types of problems Beck is having.

Here's something else to consider...GMs of NFL teams shouldn't draft a guy that's coming into the league after his Sophomore season. But, if a certain NFL team thinks the kid is ready to go then they should be able to draft him.

Basically, I think it should be up to the player. If he thinks he's ready after 1 or 2 years, then he should be able to declare.

[Old Tiger]

Originally posted by TexanFan4Life
That's a good article I hadn't read before.

I suppose each person would handle it differently. My guess is the NFL has the current rule in place to protect itself from the occasional few underclassmen that might have the same types of problems Beck is having.

Here's something else to consider...GMs of NFL teams shouldn't draft a guy that's coming into the league after his Sophomore season. But, if a certain NFL team thinks the kid is ready to go then they should be able to draft him.

Basically, I think it should be up to the player. If he thinks he's ready after 1 or 2 years, then he should be able to declare. Only two people in my mind that could have went from HS straight to the pros and that was Earl Campbell and Adrian Peterson.

[TexanFan4Life]

Originally posted by Go Blue
Only two people in my mind that could have went from HS straight to the pros and that was Earl Campbell and Adrian Peterson.

I'm not saying anything about HS to the NFL.

I'm talking about going to the NFL after your Freshman season of college football.

[kepdawg]

Originally posted by TexanFan4Life
I'm not saying anything about HS to the NFL.

I'm talking about going to the NFL after your Freshman season of college football.

What's the difference in going straight from high school or going after one year in college?

[Old Tiger]

Originally posted by TexanFan4Life
I'm not saying anything about HS to the NFL.

I'm talking about going to the NFL after your Freshman season of college football. Only a few special athletes come into college and make an immediate impact in college during their freshmen season. Adrian Peterson being one of them. If you can name more that is great but that is off the top of my head and I don't feel like thinking to much

[TexanFan4Life]

Originally posted by kepdawg
What's the difference in going straight from high school or going after one year in college?

The 1 year would give the player some time to adjust his game, both mentally and physically. I just think forcing a kid to stay in college for 3 years is overkill. The adjustment can be made in 1 season, for a well-rounded young player.

Again...it should be up to the player whether or not he wants to leave after one year. He knows his body and his mind better than any scout, GM or coach would.

[TexanFan4Life]

Originally posted by Go Blue
Only a few special athletes come into college and make an immediate impact in college during their freshmen season. Adrian Peterson being one of them. If you can name more that is great but that is off the top of my head and I don't feel like thinking to much

....and those few should have the freedom to make the jump to the next level if they choose to.

[Old Tiger]

Originally posted by TexanFan4Life
The 1 year would give the player some time to adjust his game, both mentally and physically. I just think forcing a kid to stay in college for 3 years is overkill. The adjustment can be made in 1 season, for a well-rounded young player.

Again...it should be up to the player whether or not he wants to leave after one year. He knows his body and his mind better than any scout, GM or coach would. There is an adjustment from HS to college and an adjustment from college to pro. It's hard to skip one of those adjustments and 1 year in college wouldn't justify that adjustment from the HS to college level then college to pro.

[Old Tiger]

Originally posted by TexanFan4Life
....and those few should have the freedom to make the jump to the next level if they choose to. Then that is where the mental aspect comes into play. A HS player would be so confused by the playcalling in the league because a simple dive is complex in the play calling.


Also their techniques would be so wrong and would have to adjust to the NFL which could take years. Most studs in HS play off their talent and not techniques when all the NFL is how how good your technique is.

[big daddy russ]

What's the old saying, "Basketball, baseball, they're contact sports. Football's a collision sport."

I think it's a great rule. As it stands, nobody would be exempt from going into the NFL after one year. So you'd get some 19-year-old that had a good season but isn't developed enough for the NFL declare and risk serious injury.

Besides, it would do to NCAA football what it did to NCAA hoops-- the level of competition would go down tremendously. And everyone knows that college football is better than the pros, so we wouldn't want anything like that to happen.

[TexanFan4Life]

Originally posted by Go Blue
Then that is where the mental aspect comes into play. A HS player would be so confused by the playcalling in the league because a simple dive is complex in the play calling.


Also their techniques would be so wrong and would have to adjust to the NFL which could take years. Most studs in HS play off their talent and not techniques when all the NFL is how how good your technique is.

I see your point. I also think that players that DO decide to leave after 1 or 2 seasons have to live with their decision.

If they have trouble in the NFL after thinking they were ready...shame on them for choosing to leave college. Maybe 2 years should be the minimum, instead of 3 then. I would hate to end up with 24 rookies in the NFL all struggling because they made a bad decision.

[Old Tiger]

Originally posted by TexanFan4Life
I see your point. I also think that players that DO decide to leave after 1 or 2 seasons have to live with their decision.

If they have trouble in the NFL after thinking they were ready...shame on them for choosing to leave college. Maybe 2 years should be the minimum, instead of 3 then. I would hate to end up with 24 rookies in the NFL all struggling because they made a bad decision. It would almost have to be 3 because there could be a redshirt freshmen leave for the draft. IMO 3 years is set because the NFL knows

[Phil C]

One of the main reasons is because it's agin the rules!

[Old Tiger]

Originally posted by Phil C
One of the main reasons is because it's agin the rules! True!

[District303aPastPlayer]

you do realize there is a 19 year old playing pro football right now right?

[Old Tiger]

Originally posted by District303aPastPlayer
you do realize there is a 19 year old playing pro football right now right? but he was in college when he was 15 ;)

[RattlerDude]

Originally posted by TexanFan4Life
I don't buy into all the stuff about a 19 year old not being able to take the physical beating that being in the NFL so early would bring. I see no difference in a 19 year old's body and a 22 year old's body, in terms of being able to take the punishment.

Then, of course, you get into the whole debate about former NFL players who are now having to deal with brain and spinal injuries from taking too many blows to the head while playing football etc etc.

Does 3 years really make a big difference?

3 years of more damage makes a huge difference. I think the rule should allow sophomores to declare for the draft though.

[TexanFan4Life]

Originally posted by Go Blue
but he was in college when he was 15 ;)

One girl at my High School tried to start a petition so she could try out for the football team. This was back in 2000 or so. I don't think she ever went through with it, but she was saying she wanted to play Linebacker.

[TexanFan4Life]

Originally posted by RattlerDude
3 years of more damage makes a huge difference. I think the rule should allow sophomores to declare for the draft though.

I could live with that.

[eagles_victory]

If I am the NFL I leave the rule the way it is. One thing I love about the NFL that has always bothered me about the NFL draft is that when you pick someone with a first round pick in the NFL you will usually see that guy playing and making an impact within two years. Where as the NBA its watered down where they take a guy like Kwame Brown or something who is a raw talent that it takes 3 or 4 years to get adjusted to the NBA. There is something to be said for everybody who usually gets picked is closer to NFL ready and isnt just raw talent.