NFL Draft: Leonard Fournette, Christian McCaffrey skipping bowls

With their NFL and NFL Draft status in the balance, star college running backs Leonard Fournette and Christian McCaffrey have opted not to play in bowls…

As the college bowl season gets underway, NFL Draft fans and NFL scouts are getting word that star running backs and one-time Heisman candidates Leonard Fournette of LSU and Christian McCaffrey of Stanford are skipping their teams’ respective bowl games.

Both players are skipping the bowl games to avoid any sort of big injury ahead of their very first job interviews in the NFL and their opportunity to get drafted as high as possible.

Some people don’t like this at all. Some people are applauding both of these young players. I happen to be a bit torn about this topic, but it’s hard for me to be upset with either of these guys after seeing what happened to Notre Dame linebacker Jaylon Smith last season, and how his future now hangs in the balance.

Both Fournette and McCaffrey should be top 32 selections, in my opinion. I wouldn’t hesitate to use a first rounder on either guy, but some people aren’t sold on McCaffrey as a first rounder.

I think that’s absolutely insane, but that’s another article for another day…

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For those who might not quite agree with these guys’ decisions, saying that you would not abandon your teammates even for an exhibition game at the end of the season before you left for the NFL, think about this:

If you were given the opportunity to drive for a NASCAR racing team, would you make sure you had one last race in your hometown with your friends before you went off to the greatest opportunity of your life?

I know if I was making the decision, I would do everything I could to make sure I was out of harm’s way on my way to such a great opportunity.

Football is a violent game. As running backs specifically, Fournette and McCaffrey risk injury almost more than anyone else because they’re running full speed into contact. Running backs don’t last overly long as it is, which is why we see the majority of backs coming out of college early, rather than staying all four years.

I don’t have a problem with these guys skipping a meaningless bowl game, and I know it won’t be unanimous, but how could their teammates and coaches not support them in that? Fournette and McCaffrey both have given a lot to their respective universities and football programs, so making this sacrifice is something I would be in full support of.