I’ve heard many Bruin fans this week question Maurice
Drew’s decision to leave school early for the NFL Draft.
I’ve heard many Trojan fans complain that LenDale White will
be leaving school early for the pros, and Reggie Bush is sure to
follow him. The same goes for Texas fans and Vince Young.
The act of players leaving school early isn’t limited to
football, either.
Wednesday, UCLA men’s soccer stars Marvell Wynne and
Patrick Ianni signed a contract to leave school early and will
likely be two of the top picks at this year’s Major League
Soccer SuperDraft .
And in a month or two, we will all start hearing about which
star college basketball players may leave their schools early for
the NBA Draft (get ready Bruin fans ““ with a run deep into
the Tournament and an amazing second half of the season, a Bruin
might be among them.).
Basically, it’s that time of year where columnists
everywhere write about how players’ decisions to leave school
early are bad and how they mark the downfall of sports.
You’re not getting that from me.
I’m all for players leaving school early for the pros. I
highly recommend that they do, if they’re good enough.
For most of their collegiate careers, student-athletes and
regular students are very different. However, both groups have one
very important goal in mind: to use college to improve their
future.
How many students would leave school right now for a job that
paid $235,000 a year? That’s the NFL’s minimum salary.
In the NBA, the minimum salary is $412,718.
USC quarterback Matt Leinart shocked everyone when he decided to
stay for his final year of eligibility after winning the national
title and the Heisman Trophy.
Leinart saw $40 million staring him in the face, but he stayed
in school. He is an exception.
I know the MLS isn’t anywhere near the stature of the NFL
and NBA and that the salaries are much lower (a minimum of
$30,000). Still, Wynne and Ianni will benefit.
They signed a “Generation adidas” contract, which
guarantees them a scholarship to finish their college educations
should their professional careers not pan out.
And while Drew is only projected to be drafted anywhere from the
second round to the fifth round, that still means he’s very
likely to make it onto a roster, with at least a minimum salary
that would help him easily pay off the rest of his education should
he want or need to go back to school.
The same goes for all of the other elite student-athletes
leaving school early to pursue a professional career.
They’re making the right choice for their futures.
As fans, we have to understand this.
UCLA fans would love to see Drew return another wild punt for a
touchdown. USC fans would love to see Bush and White run for a
million yards again. Texas fans would love to see Young try to lead
them to another championship.
But these athletes have nothing at all to gain from staying in
school another year other than possibly earning a college degree
““ possibly (the graduation rates for Division I football and
men’s basketball players are 64 percent and 58 percent,
respectively).
On the other hand, these athletes have plenty to lose by coming
back to school for another year.
They could get injured, and never see any money from the pros.
They could see their draft value fall from an off year or other
players having great years.
Why risk the bad when you can have the good?
As fans, we’ve grown to love these athletes, and we should
want what’s best for them in the future.
They’ve given us plenty of enjoyment on the field.
They’ve helped the teams we root for win games.
We need to let them go and prosper, and cherish the moments we
have.
Take UCLA for example. With the men’s basketball
team’s fast start, it’s not inconceivable that the
Bruins can make a run deep into the NCAA Tournament, led by a star
player, most likely Jordan Farmar.
(Don’t worry Bruin fans, I’ve heard nothing at all
from any source that says he is thinking about leaving. I’m
only using him as an example, because it works.)
It’s not inconceivable that his draft value would
skyrocket in said tournament run, making it hard for him to turn
down the NBA.
And if that day happens, he would have made the right
choice.
Just like Drew, Bush, White, Young and all of the other star
football players that have declared for NFL Draft this week and
left school early.
Only 81 days until Opening Day.
E-mail Quiñonez at gquinonez@media.ucla.edu.