Hercules
- Thread starter kougkurt
- Start date
That sucks . How does he go four seasons at WSU and in non contact drill blows a knee .
And this is why you stay in school and finish so even if you get injured you still have a degree.
I hope he heals up and has a speedy recovery, but seriously this why you finish school. People say "but what if he got injured playing his senior year and it affected his draft stock?" He went undrafted and got hurt anyway, but now no degree.
Just finish school kids, please. You get a full ride. You get a gourmet chef to cook you meals, a whole family of people your age to hang out with. Your tuition and books are paid for. Just finish school.
Then you can go try your luck in the NFL meat grinder and hope for the best, but running into that blender for some cash in football just isn't smart. In the NBA I can understand the draw to come out early because the chance of career ending injury is so low, but in football? Chasing a paycheck with that physically taxing profession just isn't smart. Get the degree then go.
I hope he heals up and has a speedy recovery, but seriously this why you finish school. People say "but what if he got injured playing his senior year and it affected his draft stock?" He went undrafted and got hurt anyway, but now no degree.
Just finish school kids, please. You get a full ride. You get a gourmet chef to cook you meals, a whole family of people your age to hang out with. Your tuition and books are paid for. Just finish school.
Then you can go try your luck in the NFL meat grinder and hope for the best, but running into that blender for some cash in football just isn't smart. In the NBA I can understand the draw to come out early because the chance of career ending injury is so low, but in football? Chasing a paycheck with that physically taxing profession just isn't smart. Get the degree then go.
I understand why Mata'afa went pro, but gotta agree with Tron, Hercules passed up on the opportunity to be a difference maker at WSU and isn't going to have anything to show for it. It's obviously bad luck for this to happen, but you can't ever get that senior year back and now he's gonna have to hope that there is a next year. Hope it works out for him.
I am encouraged tonight, because I can reply to the above posts in total agreement.
Amazing.And it is another example of why the Football draft should have the same rules as the NBA draft. Injuries aside, we have a FB player who should not have gone in the draft, but had no recourse once he committed. Over on the BB court, we have a player that should not have gone (Franks), who having realized it can now come back and finish up his career.
Baseball? pretty much the same as Basketball, but even better because they actually get drafted and then can really assess their lives. That said, FB and BB should be changed to be just like Baseball. You can sign out of HS (rare), or be eligible once you get past your Junior year. If you don't actually get drafted, or don't like where you fell, you stay in school. Pretty simple concept, and all in favor of the student-athlete.
Boy, I don’t know. “He should have stayed in school” is a tough I told you so. How many junior all Americans declare early? Most of them. I guess I’m of the opinion that his ACL was gonna go, either in Minnesota or Pullman had he stayed. If he can’t make it back and earn an NFL roster spot, he can still earn his degree.
On a separate note, rather than pay college athletes, one thing I’d love to see is that D1 scholarship football players qualify for lifetime academic scholarships. If at any point in their lives they want to go back to school and take coursework, they get free tuition. Seems fair to me.
On a separate note, rather than pay college athletes, one thing I’d love to see is that D1 scholarship football players qualify for lifetime academic scholarships. If at any point in their lives they want to go back to school and take coursework, they get free tuition. Seems fair to me.
This is why you don’t listen to the knuckle heads around you. He was way too small for D-line in the NFL. Get your F’ing degree, destroy the PAC 12 and enjoy College. Then take the shot at the NFL. Now an ACL, no degree, loses his final year of eligibility. Good grief! Sorry I’m a little pissed at this whole debacle.
True words. Could there have been other factors? Yes. Otherwise this was a terrible decision all the way around.
I thought you could ask the NFL for a draft analysis on where teams think you will be taken. It would be interesting to see what his result was.
Your last suggestion is a good one so long as it is only awarded to players that complete their college playing eligibility. It would be further incentive to stay in school rather than these crazy jump early decisions.
As an UDFA Hercules was facing long odds to even make an NFL roster, now with this injury that chance is extremely unlikely. There would have been a major difference if he would have torn his ACL at WSU, in that he would have been eligible for a Medical Red Shirt.
Terrible terrible decision by a player that was probably getting bad advice from an Agent. He will be a poster example in the future to other players on why you stay in school unless you are assured of guaranteed early round NFL money
I wasn't a fan of Hercules leaving, but keep in mind that this lesson could just as easily have been the other way around had he stayed in college for his senior year and torn his ACL. The prevailing argument then would have been "... this is why players that have a standout Jr year and have little/nothing to gain by a Sr year are wise to jump to the NFL early..." Tough choice to make at the time he made it, and tough road moving forward. Good luck to him.
First of all... sorry to hear this. Get well soon Hercules!! Coug Nation is behind you!
2nd. For all playes in D-I football. You STAY in school, UNLESS you are going in the first round and have a guaranteed contract. Otherwise, crap like this happens and you don't have a degree, which you very well may need to rely upon to make a living for yourself and your family..
2nd. For all playes in D-I football. You STAY in school, UNLESS you are going in the first round and have a guaranteed contract. Otherwise, crap like this happens and you don't have a degree, which you very well may need to rely upon to make a living for yourself and your family..
You can go back and finish your degree. If you have a legit shot at being a $$$ maker and contributor, I say go. If you’re a tweener stay in school, have a monster senior year, ride off into the sunset.
It's quite possible that his pro coaches saw enough of him before the injury to keep him around, injury or no. Players recover nicely from torn ACLs quite often, so it's silly to think football is over for him. Time will tell, of course.
I saw an article in the Minneapolis paper that says Hercules will be paid the NFL minimum this year while on injured reserve ($480,000). He could have just as easily returned to WSU and had the same ACL injury in spring drills. At least now he will be getting paid while rehabbing for a year.
As far as finishing his degree, he can always do that if its important to him. Many former players do return to finish up.
As far as finishing his degree, he can always do that if its important to him. Many former players do return to finish up.
Heck he can limp back for at least Fall semester and knock that out. I'm sure CML would let him rehab in the FOB. And glad to hear about the $480K. If a young man is smart with his money (no Mercedes, fancy jewelry, big condo) that much money, even after tax, is a nice starter nest egg.
Did they say how he did it? Changing directions or did a blow to the knee?
Good, very good. I was wondering about that, whether he would have any income from the Vikings during his rehab year. Agree with Loyal that he would do best to spend the year rehabbing in Pullman while finishing his degree. I am hopeful that Leach can talk him into doing that.
Ed, don't quote me but I seem to recall that it occurred during a non-contact drill of some sort.
He has the $ to pay his own way. That’s a nice check. Im sure he would rather have an intact knee though. But shoot, half million bucks?
Probably, but after the initial surgery the rehab becomes rather generic so I do not see why they would object. You bring up a good point though in that they could insist that he stay in the Twin Cities area.
That's good to hear. We all obviously hope that he can come back better than ever.
Yeah I honestly don't have a clue, just wondering if they have that authority to make him stay and work with team doctors/trainers, rather than working with staff of his choice.
