That's just it, though - I wouldn't say Bradford was extremely lucky he was able to make a full recovery. This is 2011, not 1981. The medical technology these days is ridiculously good. Who's the last young QB to get injured and never recover his athletic ability or have his career ended? I really can't think of one. Can it happen? Of course it can. Just as you can die in a car crash on the way to work, but you do it anyway. At some point, the risk is low enough to where you don't let it dictate your life. (And with all of the above said, you can bet the insurance policy on Luck will be ENORMOUS.)
Most likely he's not. If this were last year, then yes. But the new CBA will put in a rookie pay scale where the the difference in salaries from the 1st to the 32nd pick won't be so dramatically different. There's always a chance of injury, but for a QB, a career-ender is rare.
If his family has money how is the decision stupid if he wants to come back and try and win a National Championship?
Good lord so dramatic. Drafted by Indy? So Luck is going to all of a sudden suck next year? Funny that the same people who b**** about a guy playing for money criticizes a guy for coming back. If I didn't know any better I would think this decision by Luck was going to lead to him living a life where he was broke for the rest of his life.
LOL @ Panthers. I wonder if Todd McShay will move Gabbard of Missouri from the fifth pick to the first pick.
Great decision on my opinion. He's not NFL ready. There's nothing like college and he's made a great decision on staying just like Peyton Manning, Ricky Williams. They $ left on the table when they stayed was still there and it will be for him.
There's a monumental difference between having enough money to live comfortably and having MILLIONS in the bank account with Luck and his family ever having to worry about money ever again if you play your cards right. The guy had a career year. Maybe one of the best years ever by a traditional QB in college history. He finished 2nd in Hesiman voting. He led his team to a 12-1 season and an Orang bowl victory. He would have been the #1 draft pick. I'm not saying it can't be done but topping a year like he had this past year will be tough. Espeicially if Harbaugh bails. Even if it wasn't about winning the Heisman/NC game I think he's risking too much. He's on top of the world right now. I think confidence and momentum go a long way in success.You've got to strike while the Iron is hot. He's not only going to gamble millions on an NFL contract but think of all the other stuff he could lose out on such as endorsements etc. Tom Brady and Peyton Manning aren't going to be around forever. Luck could be the heir apparent to either one. His stock to the scouts, teams, fans, media endorsers etc. Won't EVER be higher than what it is right now.
Yup. My gut instinct is that the decision had as much to do with the Carolina organization as anything else. Small market with an owner with a reputation for being cheap. Aging core with no real playmakers on offense (other than a very old Steve Smith). Coaching staff in flux, with a highly-regarded head coach (John Fox) already having failed with this group. I know they had a fairly good decade and made the Super Bowl once, but they remind me a lot of the Bills this time a decade ago. Even considering their somewhat-recent success, small market and questionable ownership are a dangerous combination. For a guy like Luck who knows with virtual certainty that he'll also be #1 in a year, I could see his family hoping for a better situation.
Stupid decision because he's at it's highest point right now and would be #1. But, I can't blame a guy for wanting to better himself with an educatrion, good for him.
it's a mistake in that he can't be a higher pick then he would have been this year. no upside. But potential downside and in the case of an injury major downside.
Maybe his dream isn't to be the #1 pick. Maybe his goal in life isn't to just make millions of dollars. Maybe he wants to enjoy college and get a degree. Maybe he doesn't want to spend the next x years of his life in Carolina. There are any number of reasons to stay. He'll get an insurance policy that will guarantee he will never be hurting for money his whole life, so that's kind of a nonissue. I always find it amusing when people call others stupid for simply having different goals in life.
He will never be poor, he will have a lot more fun playing for the Championship next year than getting killed at Carolina. If I could have, I would have stayed in college forever.
Chances are he still will be making millions next year and his family wo't have to worry ever again. I'm tired of hearing the what if he has an career ending injury thing. The chances of that happening is slim.
Wow. He's making a mistake. Rookie pay scale is one of the things the owners want in the new CBA. What if they set a scale for the draft and he gets something like 10 million guaranteed vs 50 or 60?
I think the chances of a career ending injury are slim too but it's tough to repeat a season like he had.
I can't think of anything I would do with $50 million that I couldn't do with $10 million. Own my G5 instead of timeshare maybe? Besides, if he can finagle going to a bigger market team or a faster rising team than Carolina will likely be, he will more than make up the difference in promotion money.
