Dwayne Allen Video: Watch Clemson TE Make Cryptic Remark About Money

Because he's widely regarded as one of the best tight end prospects in the country, Clemson's Dwayne Allen will be in for an impressive payday if he decides to declare for the 2012 NFL draft.

But right now, there is some suspicion that Allen is already getting paid at Clemson.

Allen has himself to blame for this suspicion. Shortly after Clemson's embarrassing 70-33 loss to West Virginia in the Orange Bowl, a reporter asked if the loss was going to influence Allen's decision to go pro.

Part of his response in the above video stands out. Scroll to about the 1:20 mark in the clip and see if you can't pick it out.

If you can't, it's this part: "I’m happy to say that the one thing that’s not going to go in my decision is money. Being at Clemson I have more money, more resources than I’ve ever had in my whole life."

Ummm...Is that something Allen should have said? If he's getting paid to play football at Clemson, isn't that something that, like, he should keep on the down-low?

No to the first question. Yes to the second.

But let's not jump to conclusions.

If Allen is guilty of anything here, it's a poor choice of words. Had he just said "I have more resources than I've ever had in my whole life," nobody would have complained. 

But because he said the very word "money," some people in some circles are freaking out and pointing accusatory fingers.

Let's not do that, people. I don't know all the minute details of Allen's scholarship at Clemson, but I'm sure it provides him with money for things like room and board, food, supplies and so on and so forth.

In addition, there are grants and loans that student-athletes can take advantage of. The big one would be the Pell Grant program, which student-athletes are more than welcome to apply for. It pays well too, as a USA Today report from July of 2011 pointed out that 135 Florida State athletes combined to get roughly $565,000 in 2010.

Given the resources Allen and other players have at their disposal, it's entirely likely that he does indeed have more money than he's had in his entire life. 

He just should have kept that to himself.