When does one’s obligation to their team end?
Some would say never, but most would agree certainly not before the end of one’s career or at least season.
But in what could end up becoming a trend of sorts, a pair of high-profile running backs have announced they will not be participating in bowl games in order to begin preparations for the NFL Draft early.
Last week, LSU running back Leonard Fournette announced he would’t play in the Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl against Louisville on New Year’s Eve.
Fournette has dealt with a banged-up ankle all season, which caused him to miss five games this season. After announcing he would skip his final year of college ball, he is expected to be one of the top picks in the NFL Draft.
On Monday morning, Stanford’s Christian McCaffrey announced he will be following Fournette’s lead and will skip the Cardinal’s Sun Bowl next Friday against North Carolina.
McCaffrey, who is also skipping his senior season in Palo Alto to head to the NFL, has dealt with nagging injuries all year, but they only forced him to miss one game, the contest against Notre Dame in South Bend, and he carried the ball 30 times in Stanford’s regular season finale against Rice, so his situation is a bit different than Fournette’s.
Are they quitters? Are they letting their teammates down?
Or given the terrible situation that Jaylon Smith went through last season, are they just making the best long-term decision for themselves and their families?
Discuss.
