As much as I understand the wisdom of getting your college degree, and have benefitted greatly from my degree (full disclosure - I'm a 57 year old couch potato with bad knees, not the world class athlete my dogs think I am) I'm not sure I can disagree with players declaring early for the draft. Several factors to consider:
1. You could have a career ending injury any time and never even get a shot at the NFL.
2. OSU honors your scholarship - you can come back any time & get your degree. And college isn't for everyone.
3. The money for making an NFL team, as the last guy on the bench, may be greater than many of us think. It's certainly more than I was aware of until I went looking. Check out these numbers, provided by Spotrac here: https://www.spotrac.com/blog/nfl-minimum-salaries-for-2015-and-the-veter...
NFL Minimum Salaries for 2015 and the Veteran Cap Benefit Rule
By Michael Ginnitti • Feb 2, 2015 •
Each year the NFL minimum salaries increase by $15,000, up to $435k for a rookie in 2015. A player’s minimum salary is determined by his years of experience (YOE), ranging from 0 to 10 or more. The chart below shows the minimum (P5) salaries a team can contract a player to based on Years of Experience (credited seasons).
Yrs. 2015 2016 2017 2018
0 $435,000 $450,000 $465,000 $480,000
1 $510,000 $525,000 $540,000 $555,000
2 $585,000 $600,000 $615,000 $630,000
3 $660,000 $675,000 $690,000 $705,000
4-6 $745,000 $760,000 $775,000 $790,000
7-9 $870,000 $885,000 $900,000 $915,000
10+ $970,000 $985,000 $1,000,000 $1,015,000
Veteran Minimum Benefits
When qualified, a player with more than four or more years of NFL experience can earn his total minimum salary, but have a cap figure that reflects two years of experience – or in 2015, $585,000. The contract must be for only one year, and must not contain combined bonus money (signing, roster, workout) that exceeds $65,000.
For instance, Victor Butler recently re-signed with the New York Giants on a 1 year $745,000 contract. With more than two years of experience (5), and a 1 year contract, Butler qualfies for the cap hit benefit. His 2015 cap figure will be $585,000 with the Giants.
Had he received a signing bonus of the maximum $80,000, he would have received an $810,000 contract, with a $745,000 base salary, a $65,000 signing bonus, and a cap figure of $650,000 (585+65).
With plenty of veterans being released, or not signed back thus far in 2015, the use of the Minimum Salary Benefit Rule becomes useful both for older players looking for jobs, and teams looking to minimize their cap dollars.
Reserve/Future Contracts
The majority of Reserve/Futures contracts, as well as nearly all Undrafted Free Agent signings this summer will include a minimum salary base contract. In the 2015 season that would include a salary of $435,000 in 2015, $525,000 in 2016, and if applicable $615,000 in 2017.
Note : Minimum pay for a practice squad player is $6,500 a week. There is no maximum.
