NFL Drafts and Transfers: The Scholarship Bag and Who's Left Holding It

A funny thought occured to me the other day as Derek Dooley informed the press that Bryce Brown was no longer a part of Tennessee football.

What happens to the vacated scholarship?

It happens every year; a player is dismissed for disciplinary reasons, a player doesn't get enough play time and departs for a more favorable opportunity, an athletic phenom forgoes his senior year to enter the NFL draft, or a player simply decides that the pressures of balancing family, school, and football are just too much to shoulder and they bolt for home.

It's a free country and that's their choice. God bless them, but can their shoes be filled without an act of congress?

Well, all I can say is you be better be careful when it comes to the NCAA handbook. I took a look at some of the verbiage and from my opinion it's a legalese nightmare full of blank references that lead nowhere. You would do better to read Latin transcribed in Russian to be able to interpret anything of use; Derek Dooley was right when he said, "...it's no wonder so many coaches get in trouble breaking the rules,...it's a good thing I'm a lawyer so can I read this stuff."

The question however is in the small print, and I repeat question because I can't find a clear discernible answer, but this is how I interpret it so rake me over the coals if you like.

1. Regardless of division, (1, 2, or 3) you have fixed number of scholarship athletes.
2. You may only offer scholarship if said athlete agrees to attend school of higher learning for four years.
3. Athlete must attend classes and have declared a major by his second calendar year of attendance, and maintain a GPA that's passing for all enrolled subjects.
4. Notify proper NCAA officials of intention to abandon scholarship, in order to enter NFL draft must be removed from high school enrollment for at least three years, at which point....

Wait, what the...what happened to item two??

It's a good thing it's not the constitution, because the laws have been broken for over three decades according to the bylaws.

Let's take Eric Berry for example: a player close to my heart, he has been the defensive answer to Peyton Manning for the last three years at Tennessee. He has foregone his senior year with the prospect of going early in the first round of the draft. He could very well land a deal that will make him a wealthy man.

Again I say what about the scholarship? I know, let's go out and get another Berry...wait we're only allowed 85 men on the team and all of those scholarship slots are filled already by incoming recruits. Sorry Mr. Athletic Director, tough luck.

The only upside is for the walk-on who has had to pay his own tuition the last three years but played his butt off just the same. Yep, let him finish off the scheduled scholarship. More coaches than you know do it.

How many times have you heard about a kicker or punter being awarded a scholarship at the beginning of their junior or senior year? Well, thanks to the NFL and eager superstars, they reap the benefits but the university still pays the bill.

Scholarships in the true sense of the law are contracts, so shouldn't there be some penalty if the terms aren't satisfied? Hey, here's a novel idea, why not repay the university so that another superstar gets a shot? I mean, they'll make millions, what's a few years of tuition, books, and room and board to them?

At the very least repay the tuition, or should we just say thank you, you earned those years? What about guys like Bryce Brown, who abscond after one season and leave their coaches holding the bag? Well, if they end up at another university how about that university repay those tuition bills?

It's just my opinion and in more cases than I care to admit I know how much it's worth, but I know that if I cancel my cell phone contract I still have to pay for the remainder of my time that I agreed to pay.

Shouldn't everybody be held to the same standards?