Leinart's decision to stay in school

BossHog · Post by **BossHog** » Sat Jan 15, 2005 10:49 am

... wow... I personally think Matt made a HUGE mistake.

While I'm normally all for staying in school, at what cost?

Probably as much as $15M - $20M... you can't have a better scenario than winning the Heisman, winning the national championship AND having a couple of teams at the top of the draft board that are in need of a QB's services.

[-X

Opinions?

fredp45 · Post by **fredp45** » Sat Jan 15, 2005 11:28 am

If he came out this year...he'd end up in SF and they are destined to suck for awhile and he'd get killed in no time... He's probably hoping that he falls back in the pack in the 06 draft (with less money) and ends up on a better team -- ala Ben R.

Seriously, I wonder how much of this decision is based on who would draft him this year?

Warmother · Post by **Warmother** » Sat Jan 15, 2005 11:52 am

I think he made a big mistake. He can say whatever he wants about another college championship but he can't help himself in the 2006 draft. He was already going to be the #1 pick you can't improve on that, if anything he might have hurt his chances, not only with the chance of a serious injury, but teams may look at him now and think he is afraid. Who would want a QB who is scared?

Usually I agree with a player who stay's for an extra year of school, unless he was going to be a high 1st round pick. Leinart will be a 5th year player with nothing to prove. If he doesn't want to play for SF just say so they have lots of problems and need more than him. There is no promise that next year a better team will draft you.

Now with all that said can Leinart declare for a supplemental draft later if he changes his mind?

Redskins Rule · Post by **Redskins Rule** » Sat Jan 15, 2005 12:32 pm

Leinart is dumb! I don't think he's scared I just think he's dumb! Why would you pass on $15 million dollars? He's going back to college now where he's gonna be making $5.15 an hour at McDonalds or some place just so he can get some spending money. I don't get it......$5.15 an hour or 15 million dollars? :hmm:

He's already proven that he's worth a 15 million dollar signing bonus. Say it one more time 15 million dollars! Why the heck would you want to give that up for a $5.15 an hour job and a college degree?

This is just dumb!

hailskins666 · Post by **hailskins666** » Sat Jan 15, 2005 12:32 pm

maybe it was just too much presure? the thought of making that leap. maybe he thinks he'll be more prepared next year. i don't know. the thought of a 15-20 mil signing bonus would be enough for most people to throw caution to the wind.

Redskins Rule · Post by **Redskins Rule** » Sat Jan 15, 2005 12:39 pm

I don't understand how you can feel pressure when you have a 15 Million Dollar check in your hand. I just don't get it!

hailskins666 · Post by **hailskins666** » Sat Jan 15, 2005 12:47 pm

Redskins Rule wrote:I don't understand how you can feel pressure when you have a 15 Million Dollar check in your hand. I just don't get it!

maybe the thought of actually "earning" that check? i'm sure heath shuler and ryan leaf have pretty low self esteem right about now.

Redskins Rule · Post by **Redskins Rule** » Sat Jan 15, 2005 1:07 pm

hailskins666 wrote:maybe the thought of actually "earning" that check? i'm sure heath shuler and ryan leaf have pretty low self esteem right about now.

I still don't get it. There is nothing more that he can prove in college. Heisman and national championship is the pinacle. You can't do better than that.

I just don't understand why stay in something that you've dominated in. Why not move to the next level and GET PAID!!! Lets say he enters the draft next year and gets picked up late in the first round. His signing bonus is going to be...One million???? And he ends up as a Heath Shuler or a Ryan Leaf.....there are fourteen million reasons right there, as to why he is just dumb!

Scooter · Post by **Scooter** » Sat Jan 15, 2005 1:14 pm

With so many kids that SHOULD have stayed another year (Morency etc...)

Leinart must have had an indiscretion with a few farm animals while being video taped by someone else.

"I was trying to push the goat under the fence...uhm, she was stuck." "Oh, it's a male?" All time worst decision by a college player!

air_hog · Post by **air_hog** » Sat Jan 15, 2005 2:09 pm

actually i applaud him =D>

you wont find to many people that play sports now-a-days for the love of the game. i mean sure he could have 50 million bucks but he would be having a lousy time. now he gets to go back and have some fun. good job Matt Lienart!

NC43Hog · Post by **NC43Hog** » Sat Jan 15, 2005 2:13 pm

Obvously money and NFL aren't everything to this kid. Hey, if I could have one more year in college . . . sorry faded off there down memory lane.

Jake · Post by **Jake** » Sat Jan 15, 2005 2:28 pm

air_hog wrote:actually i applaud him you wont find to many people that play sports now-a-days for the love of the game. i mean sure he could have 50 million bucks but he would be having a lousy time. now he gets to go back and have some fun. good job Matt Lienart!

Same here. I'm surprised he stayed but it's a good thing that he's going to stay in school and playing for free (for the most part :roll:

). Money isn't the most important thing in life, Mark. Why not stay and start on a winning team instead of having all of this pressure put on you to succeed and lead the crappiest team in the league to the promise land?

Good job, Matt. Money doesn't always buy happiness.

Warmother · Post by **Warmother** » Sat Jan 15, 2005 2:32 pm

Jake wrote:[
Good job, Matt. Money doesn't always buy happiness.

Money may not ALWAYS buy happiness but I bet more often than not it does. :lol:

Redskins4Life · Post by **Redskins4Life** » Sat Jan 15, 2005 2:33 pm

I applaud him for staying at school. I think if he had came out this year, he would potentially be a damn good quarterback but not great. Staying his senior year may have his stock dip a little bit, but I do think he will become a better player in the pros.

Redskins Rule · Post by **Redskins Rule** » Sat Jan 15, 2005 2:46 pm

Applaud him for not taking the money and the next challenge???? I still don't get it......why stay when you have nothing else to prove at your level? Its time to move on to the next challenge and GET PAID while doing it. Maybe he's going to be a bust, but maybe he's not. I doubt an extra year at college would prevent him from being a bust. In my humble opinion, He's just blowing away a year of his life.

Justice Hog · Post by **Justice Hog** » Sat Jan 15, 2005 7:04 pm

Look at it this way, when your making millions and millions of dollars, is there any real difference between making $10 million and $20 million. It might sound like a lot; however, the fact is....once your a millionaire, these differences won't "feel" like a lot.

Unless he suffers an injury in his final year, which he is certainly risking (which is why I think he's making a mistake going back), he'll still make a ton when he finishes college....even though his stats don't match this year's.

So...in my opinion....while I commend him for finishing his college career, I think taking the risk that he may suffer an injury that may destroy his future is too great a risk.

Pudgeman37 · Post by **Pudgeman37** » Sun Jan 16, 2005 1:05 am

Leinart made the smart decision to come back. I honestly think he wants to make history at USC and be a repeat Heisman and three-peat, which has never happened. If he were going into the 49ers, he's walking in his own grave. I think he wants to win and have fun. If he gets injured next season, his stock might drop, but dropping into good teams, a la Willis McGahee. Leinart is fine for his own long-term goals. Hey remember, money is not an issue to a couple of players, just ask Ricky Williams.

Jake · Post by **Jake** » Sun Jan 16, 2005 2:39 am

Redskins Rule wrote:Applaud him for not taking the money and the next challenge???? I still don't get it......why stay when you have nothing else to prove at your level?

It wasn't just a football decision. It's his life. If he wants to stay in school and enjoy his surroundings, let him. Money isn't everything for everybody.

NikiH · Post by **NikiH** » Sun Jan 16, 2005 2:52 am

Good gosh fellas, I am with Jake. To some people it isn't all about money. And let's not forget he is choosing to stay in college and finish school. If he entered the draft and was to suffer a career threatening injury in training camp or just plain suck at the NFL level, how well would he survive in life after football? Not well. Getting that degree could be a big deal down the road. And that added year of maturity before he gets that big check in his hand may help too. All rookies do dumb things, imagine a rookie younger by a year. ;-)

Warmother · Post by **Warmother** » Sun Jan 16, 2005 7:45 am

NikiH wrote:Good gosh fellas, I am with Jake. To some people it isn't all about money. And let's not forget he is choosing to stay in college and finish school. If he entered the draft and was to suffer a career threatening injury in training camp or just plain suck at the NFL level, how well would he survive in life after football? Not well. Getting that degree could be a big deal down the road. And that added year of maturity before he gets that big check in his hand may help too. All rookies do dumb things, imagine a rookie younger by a year.

If he got a career threatening injury or he sucked at the NFL level he would still have his $15 million signing bonus. I think he could go back and pay for that last year of school.

Jeremy81 · Post by **Jeremy81** » Sun Jan 16, 2005 8:39 am

he has a better chance of getting injured playing behind the 49ers line than he does behind the trojan line...he's having fun playing for a winning team, i like that he stayed. and who knows, he could have a better year than this year and be a two time heisman winner...nfl teams that have the first pick in the draft are almost always in need of a qb...he could have the same scenerio next year, except now he wins his three championships, gets the heisman twice, gets his degree, and still gets everything next year that he would have gotten this year

BossHog · Post by **BossHog** » Sun Jan 16, 2005 11:12 am

Thanks for clearing up that there are more things in life Jake. I would have guessed that knowing me... you wouldn't be so presumptuous.

This isn't about money... it's about his future... his LIFE.

There is NOTHING left for him to prove at the college level... NOTHING.

And while money doesn't buy happiness... it can buy stability, self-assuredness, and peace of mind. All very happy, valuable things.

There are people that have undoubtedly been making sacrifices for Matt all the way along... and now they'll keep making them for another year.

This isn't about staying in school and enjoying himself... this is about being afraid to step out of the shoes of a boy and into the shoes of a man. Sure school is fun and carefree... but at what point does a man become a man and stop DEPENDING on others?

And all of this talk about this could happen again next year etc is total hog wash. Sure... they might all happen... and maybe the world will stop spinning on it's axis too. Fact is... nobody knows what the future holds... and to get everything to lineup right for Matt Leinart... again... seems near impossible.

My 2 cents

Jake · Post by **Jake** » Sun Jan 16, 2005 12:47 pm

Warmother wrote:If he got a career threatening injury or he sucked at the NFL level he would still have his $15 million signing bonus.

But the fact is, he would still have that injury. And money isn't the same when the injury rules your life.

I think he could go back and pay for that last year of school.

There's a big difference between being a 21-year old college student and a 30 year old college student.

Warmother · Post by **Warmother** » Sun Jan 16, 2005 1:39 pm

Jake wrote:
Warmother wrote:If he got a career threatening injury or he sucked at the NFL level he would still have his $15 million signing bonus.

But the fact is, he would still have that injury. And money isn't the same when the injury rules your life.

I think he could go back and pay for that last year of school.

There's a big difference between being a 21-year old college student and a 30 year old college student.

If Leinart were to get the injury this year he would have no money.
As far as a 30 year old college student, I was responding to Niki who said "if he got hurt in training camp." If he got hurt in his 1st or 2nd camp he would still be in his early 20's and could be a rich BMOC.

Scooter · Post by **Scooter** » Sun Jan 16, 2005 5:32 pm

As a soon-to-be 40 year old college student, I can't imagine giving anyone I cared about the advice to "disregard the guaranteed lottery ticket on your dresser - what you're not happy?" Sorry folks, he'd be set for life as well as his family and future family with $20,000,000 - and having never even played one down in the pros. After a six years, he'd be in the $50,000,000 range.

Money isn't everything - but it's damn nice to have. Sure, let's all throw our checkbooks out the window and give all our cash to our pets! Whoopie! This is akin to having someone tell you - I'm going to not pay my bills for a year, sell everything I've got and bet it all on RED in Vegas.' Nice plan?

Leinart is at the top of his game. He's got ZERO to prove at the college level. He doesn't need to work on any single part of his game - he's got the Championship, make that TWO. He's got the Heisman Trophy and sponsors waging their tongues at the prospect of giving him a $5,10,15 or another $50,000,000 non-football contract to sell their goods.

Hey, I'm happy that someone thinks it's a good idea - but don't try to sell me any of that...
I pray nothing happens to the young man - I really do.