The opportunity to play professional sports is one that is only given to a select minority that has the skill and drive to succeed in their selective fields. Each year, thousands of amateur athletes turn professional and pursue their dreams. However, those that turn to the pro game early can often be criticized, even though that decision is one that is carefully thought out and evaluated over a certain period of time. When an athlete decides to turn pro, it is in their best interest, and here are the top two reasons why.
Talent: Every year, we see the nation’s top basketball prospects go to schools like Kentucky and UCLA, play one year and then declare for the NBA Draft. The one and done rule is one of the most controversial verdicts in professional sports today, and it is exercised by tons of players each year. Projected top-five players such as Kentucky center Nerlens Noel and Kansas shooting guard Ben McLemore are coming off sterling freshman seasons, and are ready to take the next step. The Kentucky squad that won the national title two years ago was dubbed the “one and done squad” because most of their rotation was star freshman that declared for the draft just days afterward. The group included No.1 overall pick Anthony Davis and No.2 pick Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, each of which had solid rookie seasons. There is nothing left for these players to do at the college level, so it was their time to turn pro.
Money: Money talks, and there is no exception to that rule in professional sports. These athletes, even after showcasing their talents as well as taking time to make the decision to make the jump, will always have green on their minds. In today’s current climate, more and more underclassmen are declaring for professional drafts, particularly in the NBA and NFL. The reason is simple: they want to be paid for their talents, and there are teams out there willing to dole out the cash to make it happen. Before the new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) instituted a rookie wage scale much like the NBA’s, NFL franchises frequently opened their wallets to pay millions of guaranteed dollars to players who had never played a down in the league. St. Louis Rams quarterback Sam Bradford was the last No.1 overall pick under the old CBA, and he signed the richest rookie contract in league history: a six year, $78 million dollar deal with $50 million guaranteed. Now that is a payday.
Turning pro is a once in a lifetime chance, and an amateur athlete should seize the opportunity to do so if the timing is right, if they have the skill to make the transition and if the money is right. But when is earning millions of dollars for doing something that you are really good at ever a bad thing?