A major debate was relaunched on Monday after Christian McCaffrey announced that he would skip Stanford’s Sun Bowl game in order to prepare for the NFL Draft.
McCaffrey joins LSU’s Leonard Fournette as a high-profile running back who decided to skip a bowl game for purposes of trying to stay healthy.
The decision of the players to skip their teams’ bowl games has been met with mixed reactions. Some feel that the players are letting down their team and teammates by not playing, and that they’re also missing out on opportunities to create greater memories and legacies. Others understand the players are just trying to protect their futures.
But if there’s anyone who is best suited to comment on the matter, it’s Jaylon Smith.
Smith tore ligaments in his knee while playing for Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl against Ohio State at the end of the 2015 season. The injury was so bad that there were questions about whether Smith would be able to play again. Yet Smith still entered the 2016 NFL Draft and was picked in the second round by the Cowboys.
With the debate about players sitting out bowl games to protect themselves raging, Smith chimed in Monday night:
Honestly. With Everything I've been through, If I could go back to Jan. 1st I'd play again. #ClearEyeView
— Jaylon Smith (@thejaylonsmith) December 20, 2016
Smith joined Ezekiel Elliott in voicing support for players participating in bowl games:
All these young guys deciding to skip their bowl games .I would do anything to play one more time with my brothers in that scarlet and gray
— Ezekiel Elliott (@EzekielElliott) December 19, 2016
One last time to honor your university and one last chance to play with your boys who will be your brothers for life.
— Ezekiel Elliott (@EzekielElliott) December 19, 2016
It’s hard to fault a player for thinking long-term, but the trade-off is they’ll never get another chance to play in a college football game again. That’s what they have to weigh as a cost.
