There are a lot of differing opinions when it comes to the subject of college players making the decision to leave school early and skip bowl games in preparation for the NFL Draft. Ezekiel Elliott didn’t exactly call anyone out or say anything bad about players who have made the decision to skip bowl games, but he made it known he doesn’t understand their reasons.
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
Leonard Fournette decided to skip LSU’s bowl game this year, as did Christian McCaffrey with Stanford — something Donovan McNabb said will set “bad examples for kids.”
It is rather interesting to point out that McCaffrey’s teammates are fully supportive of his decision, with starting receiver Trenton Irwin sharing the following on Monday:
The whole team supports @CMccaffrey5 in everything and anything. Hes been a leader to this team through the easy times and tough times.
— Trenton Irwin (@trenton_4) December 19, 2016
For college football players with NFL aspirations, reaching the NFL as a top-rated pick with a healthy body and mind represents the most important thing they can possibly do with their time at school. McCaffrey and Fournette have both been leaders for their teams and both have the respect of their teammates as they move into their next phase in life.
It’s easy for Elliott, who has been healthy throughout his young career, to wonder how others could “bail” on their teammates. He didn’t bail on his Ohio State Buckeyes, after all. Yet we wonder how he’d feel if he had a knee blown out during Ohio State’s appearance in the Fiesta Bowl last year.