Once again, the time has arrived for underclassmen to declare early for the NFL draft. The decision to withdraw from school and forfeit any remaining eligibility is based on the "experts'" opinion on draft position and the corresponding monetary reward.
Stop it! This is a farce. For every success, four will fail. Full scholarships to well-respected universities squandered. Yes, this is America, the land of opportunity. But to encourage student-athletes to abandon school for quick riches is bad policy.
What to do? The solution is simple and uncontroversial: Any underclassman declaring early for the draft must be in good standing at school with a pre-determined number of credit hours passed and a minimum grade point average attained.
No exceptions.
Furthermore, the NFL should institute a policy mandating continuing education as terms of employment, paid for by the respective team. Other players with no college eligibility left and no degree earned should be included or at least given the option.
Lastly, all signing bonuses should be structured so 50 percent of the money is deferred until the degree is earned. In this way, the four out of five early declarers who have failed or had injury-shortened or mediocre careers have an incentive to get their degrees.
So, the time HAS arrived. A spade called a spade. Full scholarships awarded to get a degree, a chance to succeed through the discipline learned in achieving a college education, not an NFL contract.
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