Everyone knows by now just how much the landscape of college football has changed in just the past few seasons. The implementation of NIL has been both a blessing and a curse with the ability to compensate players based on their name, image, and likeness becoming a norm.
However, not many predicted how it would affect players coming out of college and into the NFL. Just recently, former Tennessee and Florida State receiver Squirrel White suddenly retired from football just 16 days into his professional career. Not long after White, former Aggie running back Le'Veon Moss retired just four days after signing his UDFA contract with Miami.
Player development problem is arising in college sports due to NIL
It is easy to look at these retirements coming right after contract negotiations as a way to say that the players just did it for the money, or they just weren't ready for the pros. While those reasons might somewhat be true, there is a more glaring side of the story.
Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart recently spoke on this during an interview with Josh Pate earlier this month. Smart notably mentioned how mental health is a tougher challenge to these kids than what many realize. Smart stated that the mental health issues that will come out of kids earning thousands, if not millions, of dollars in college and living by themselves in apartments will have a negative affect. The college kids need dorms, they need roommates and friends for their mental state of mind, that it is not good to not live with someone in the hardest years of college.
Then the hard part after that, the part that I am sure White and Moss have struggled with. These guys made maybe more money in college than they will for the rest of their adult lives. That has a great impact on a young man. When you are not performing to your capabilities and you struggle with self doubt as Smart said, when you are living alone and making less than you did in college, that is an unfair burden on any young adult.
What Kirby Smart has done to combat these NIL issues
As Kirby does, Georgia has replicated a very similar style as NFL teams. Smart's recruiting strategy is to "earn it and work your way up," as he stated via dawgnation.com. He does not overpay either. Georgia, despite being a top national title contender, did not have a single player in the top 25 in NIL valuations this past season.
Smart said again to DawgNation that Georgia is "going to continue to recruit people who love football, who are passionate about football, and that don’t put money as the number one answer." This strategy not only brings you in loyal players who will refuse to transfer but will create fan-favorites. Think about Gunner Stockton and Stetson Bennett. Guys who came because they truly loved their hometown school. That is what Georgia is building in this NIL-first era.
It is worth mentioning that in this NIL era, Georgia has not had any cases of players retiring this early yet. While it is definitely an ongoing issue across the board, it is safe to say that the way Georgia is handling this situation is very honorable.
Add us as a preferred source on Google