Since Jadeveon Clowney, a 272-pound man who allegedly can run a 4.5 in the 40-yard dash, is not deemed ready for the pros by the unfair rules set forth by the NFL, the best he can do is take out an insurance policy worth $5 million.
That's what he did, according to Darryl Slater of The Post and Courier in Charleston, S.C.
Clowney said he has obtained a $5 million insurance policy through the NCAA.
— Darryl Slater (@DarrylSlater) March 7, 2013
That policy can only be cashed if he suffers a career-ending injury, so it doesn't count the much more probable scenario of Clowney getting an injury that costs him his rightful spot as the top pick of the 2014 draft, and millions of dollars. But at least it's something.
ESPN.com reported that Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel is looking into a similar insurance policy. Both players couldn't declare for the NFL draft because of the rule that a player needs to be three years removed from high school.
The NCAA insurance policies aren't a cure-all to the problem. Kentucky basketball player Nerlens Noel wouldn't have been helped by an insurance policy, but his knee injury might cost him in the NBA draft. The same goes for South Carolina running back Marcus Lattimore and his NFL career. Career-ending injuries in college are pretty rare, but significant injuries that can hurt a player's draft stock aren't.
The hope is that Clowney, Manziel and any other young player who needed to wait to declare for the draft doesn't have to worry about it and gets through the season with no issues.
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