Jaylon Smith was being tipped as a potential top-five pick in the 2016 NFL Draft.
But the Notre Dame linebacker suffered a devastating knee injury in his final game in college.
Smith endured some horrendous luck before entering the NFL[/caption]
Smith tore his ACL and LCL in the BattleFrog Fiesta Bowl against Ohio State and suffered nerve dame.
It sent his stock plummeting and he went to the Dallas Cowboys in the second round.
A top-five pick would have commanded a contract in the region of $20million at the time – Smith got $4.42m guaranteed.
Injuries like his have led to an increasing trend of programs allowing their stars to make a business decision and sit out of Bowl games, leading to some lopsided contests.
Christian McCaffrey is a high-profile example, but Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott is in the other camp.
“All these young guys deciding to skip their bowl games. I would do anything to play one more time with my brothers in that scarlet and gray,” the former Buckeye wrote on what was then Twitter in 2017.
The debate is hotting up again right now as the college season winds to a close.
Colorado Buffaloes coach Deion Sanders is bucking the trend and insists his big stars will play.
There is still plenty to play for as the 9-3 Buffaloes look to end a 20-year streak without double-digit wins.
With two potential No. 1 picks in Heisman candidate Travis Hunter and his son Shedeur, the stakes are high for Coach Prime.
Hunter and Sanders are being projected to go first and second in the draft[/caption]
PFF’s latest mock draft has Hunter going to the Jacksonville Jaguars first overall and Sanders Jr. drafted by the New York Giants with the next pick.
“Our kids are going to play in our bowl game because that’s what we signed up to do and we’re going to finish,” said Deion.
“We’re not going to tap out, because that throws off the structure of next season.”
Florida State was humbled by Georgia in the Orange Bowl last season after dozens of players, including now Buffalo Bills receiver Keon Coleman, sat out.
And Coach Prime thinks people should sit up and take notice of Colorado’s decision.
“There’s a couple teams that should take note,” he said.
Coach Prime wants to give fans a show[/caption]
“They laid an egg in the bowl game and they haven’t recovered since.
“We don’t plan on doing that. We plan on going out there fighting just like we fought today regardless of where we are.”
Smith is currently without a team but signed a $64m extension with the Cowboys in 2019 after recovering from his injuries.
With $35m in guarantees, he should be set for life.
And the burning question… Would he do it all again knowing what he knows now?
He was asked in 2016 and had no hesitations.
“I would play it again,” Smith insisted. “And I don’t just mean that figuratively. Like I truly believe that.
“It’s just not in me to give up, even if it was for the benefit of me. This could be for the benefit of me. I’m becoming a better man.”
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