School's Out

Does the name Terry Battle mean anything to you? Probably not.

How about Tony Daniels? No?

Reidel Anthony? Surely you remember that name as a prolific wide receiver in Steve Spurrier's Fun 'N Gun Florida offense in the mid-90s. He probably holds equally as much space in your mind as an NFL bust.

Battle, a former Arizona State running back, was a seventh round draft pick of the Detroit Lions who never saw NFL game action. He did serve brief stints in NFL Europe and with the XFL's San Francisco Demons.

Daniels played college ball at Texas Tech, but was undrafted.

Anthony was the 16th player taken in the 1997 draft, but spent five mediocre years with Tampa Bay where he only caught 50 passes once.

Aside from their professional football careers never panning out, these three men share another distinction: they all left school early for the 1997 NFL draft. They are joined by the likes of Jason Caudill, LeVance McQueen, Pearce Pegross, Alex Smith (A running back from Indiana -- yes, seriously), Rodney Wells, Kenny Wheaton and ... need I go further?

Thirty-four players in all left school early for the 1997 NFL Draft. Nine of them were not selected. Nine others went outside the top two rounds. Hardly the outcome they expected when they decided to forgo their senior season for a big payday.

With the obvious failure of so many early entries, logic would seem to lead more current college athletes to skip the quick paycheck and stay in school, either to improve their draft status or earn a college degree. Not so.

As of today, ten years and countless busts after that '97 class, 40 underclassmen have declared for the 2008 NFL Draft. Math has never been my strong suit, but with 32 NFL teams, even if every First Round selection is an underclassmen, eight will still go outside the top round. Will they ever learn their lesson? Let's take a quick peek at some of this season's future flops, shall we?

Nine wide receivers have entered early. Adrian Arrington of Michigan was not even the best wideout on his team. They guy who was, Mario Manningham, is also on the list. Talented Seniors DeSean Jackson of California, Limas Sweed of Texas and Early Doucet of LSU are sure to go before any of the young 'uns, which include two receivers from Hawaii, a 5'10'' wideout from West Virginia and a guy named Taj Smith who I've never heard of. Boy, this class is oozing with potential.

Nine running backs have also opted to bolt prematurely. Surely two-time Heisman runner-up Darren McFadden is making the right choice in coming out. He's a sure-fire top-5 pick. As for the rest of the group: Can Steve Slaton stay healthy; Can Kevin Smith translate his gaudy C-USA stats into NFL production; Are James Davis and Ray Rice serious; and do the others really matter?

Oh, and don't forget about Xavier Lee. He couldn't crack the starting lineup at quarterback for Florida State, so he figured he'd try to do so in the pros. Makes sense to me!

In all fairness, that 1997 class of early entries did experience some success. Ronde Barber and Orlando Pace are future Hall of Famers. Walter Jones is one of the best lineman in football, Tony Gonzalez is in the discussion for best tight end ever and Peter Boulware was a defensive force.

This 2008 class has it's gems as well. McFadden is the best running back the SEC has seen since Bo Jackson. Vernon Gholston will terrorize professional tackles just like he did in the Big Ten. And Aquib Talib has the makings of a shut-down corner. Other than those three guys, there is not another underclassman I would chance an early-round pick on.

Which begs the question, who is counseling these players? The truth is, the constant media exposure has given these young men an overinflated sense of ego and self worth. While I am big on personal accountability, I also believe that a person should make the most informed decision possible after accumulating as much information as possible. That responsibility falls on the NCAA and the NFL.

No, the NFL does not need to change it's early entry policy. If a player decides he wants to take a shot at the NFL draft, that is his prerogative if an NFL team will have him. The NFL is a business and has every right to make money by all legal means possible. At the same time, however, I am opposed to the exploitation of young people for the financial gain of others who should know better. And the NFL and NCAA has seen far too many young athletes pass on a college degree and flop at the professional level to watch listlessly as dozens of young athletes repeat the same mistakes of those that preceded them.

Education seems like a simplified course of action, but it also seems to be the most logical. Why not round up some former draft busts like Battle, Daniels and McQueen and have them tell their story to young college players who may be thinking of bolting for the NFL? Perhaps if kids hear the harsh reality of how difficult it is to succeed in the NFL from guys who have actually tried and failed, maybe they might think twice about staying in school. And if not, at least they will be making and informed decision based on facts instead of an impulsive one based on the allure of fancy cars, big homes and wads of cash.

I sincerely wish all of the young men who are pursuing their dream of playing professional football the best of luck. While I would love to believe that all of them will experience a certain measure of success and live with no regrets, history tells me that will not happen.

History is also waiting to claim a few more busts.