Yes, college football players are already professionals
In 1975, Walter Payton ran roughshod against the Steelers in the annual game that pitted a college all-star team against the defending NFL champions.
Since 1975, when Walter Payton played against the Steelers, debates have raged over whether college football players are professionals. Now, with the prospect of these athletes receiving a fifth year of eligibility, the argument has resurfaced. This position is weak; players aren't seeking to return to their college teams in costume, but rather aiming to earn more than they would on a minor league roster.
The claim that professional players are facing amateurs is misguided. College athletes have always been unpaid professionals, and now they're finally being compensated fairly. ESPN's Rece Davis recently stated that college players are professionals, a viewpoint that's refreshing given ESPN's vested interest in promoting the college system to secure a federal antitrust exemption.
It'll be intriguing to see if fellow College GameDay commentators side with him, particularly considering Nick Saban's history of bringing former NFL players back to practice against the Crimson Tide defense. Regardless, using the limited number of former NFL players as a reason to deny these athletes a fifth year of eligibility is misguided.
Anyone who supports this stance is inadvertently endorsing efforts to manipulate the system to the detriment of all players in the long run.
Written by urgent.news from Yahoo Sports's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
