But he left with eligibility remaining, was an undrafted free agent, and now already released. Who advises these guys to leave early?
Ellis brooks released
Ellis brooks released
Ellis Brooks could be starting for PSU and improving his NFL odds
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I would take someone like him, even with a bum hand, any day on the Penn State defense...the NFL unfortunately doesn't feel the same. We see this every year with B1G tackling machine linebackers. One more reason to enjoy and appreciate the college game, and not just by the fans but also some of the players.
Also skipped the bowl game. Maybe that's not all it's cracked up to be?
The lure of big money is hard to resist. Have no idea of his family’s situation but even a rookie contract is life changing for many. And if the family is poor, there is pressure help them out.
This is one big benefit to NIL moneys. Maybe help out these families and let a kid stay in school, get a degree, and mature as a person and player.
This is one big benefit to NIL moneys. Maybe help out these families and let a kid stay in school, get a degree, and mature as a person and player.
Now he can put the education to use for which he allegedly partly attended PSU (tongue firmly in cheek).
I was kinda shocked he didn't return for his last year of eligibility. All the best to him.
He did have the super senior year left. Our defense would be exponentially better this year with him returning, and would give our depth more time to get ready to start.
Still, 5 years in college. I can see why you'd go try it. If he doesn't end up on a practice squad or picked up, it might have been his choice to hang it up.
He had some sneaky skills he used that helped his college game but probably didn't translate to the pro game. Wish he had stayed, but best of luck to him. The young guns have had enough time in the system to perform. Here's hoping
Surround yourself with people that tell you yes all the time and this is what you get.
Most people that watched Penn State games the past 3 years could have told you that Brooks was not a NFL LB. I agree with lazydave.....this might have been his way to hang up the cleats....sometimes it is always easier to have someone else tell you it is time rather than tell yourself.
Most people that watched Penn State games the past 3 years could have told you that Brooks was not a NFL LB. I agree with lazydave.....this might have been his way to hang up the cleats....sometimes it is always easier to have someone else tell you it is time rather than tell yourself.
He may have never have been an NFL LB. My OP was meant to question who gave him the advice that he was and with a year of eligibility remaining. Someone likely sold the kid a line of crap that he would be drafted (he wasn't) and was ready to maximize his potential NFL payday (he didn't).
Another year in college likely as a leader of a very good attacking defense would have likely improved his draft stock enough to actually get drafted and likely hang around a squad for at least a season or two. If not, he gets more free college and another year of big man on campus. Not much downside in my view.
Exactly. Total joke. Some used car salesman is selling these kids on NFL pipe dreams. Back in the day when we had common sense coaches and advisers would be telling Ellis get your education son. You're going to need it for life and work. Oh well - can't tell anybody the truth or hard facts anymore.
He was here 5 years. Fairly sure he got his degree. Under normal circumstances, he'd have exhausted eligibility.
Exactly. 6 years of college isn’t for everybody. Maybe he and his family agreed to give the NFL a shot and move on with “real life” if it doesn’t work out.
Everything I’ve heard is that he’s a great kid that’ll do well in life. I wrote him off early in his career but he showed amazing improvement and instincts to become a run stuffing machine as a Sr. I rewatched the Wisky game focusing on him and it was unbelievable. Like he was in the offense’s huddle.
None of us know the personal situations of the players that make these decisions. Every one of them has their own unique set of circumstances and priorities. All I expect is that the staff gives them honest input about their prospects in the NFL vs. staying at PSU and encourages the player to make the decision they think is best for themselves. Of course many will choose incorrectly, we all make the wrong choice sometimes.
I was just thinking. Perhaps the PSU coaching staff suggested he move on? Unfortunately, his experience would have been very beneficial to King & Elsdon. We just don't know everything that accounted or his decision to leave.
I don't think NFL works that way. He has limited strength and speed. Another year was not going to change that situation. He had a good year so probably highest that he was going to get on NFL radar. Sure, it would have been nice but kid took his shot. Best of luck.
I hope the nil money can chip away at this type of problem. The number of players that make it in the nfl is a static number and will never change. Why take a chance anymore on an early exit and just take a sure thing in the nil money?.
It is a grueling tough sport. Hard both mentally and physically. In watching my son (D2) and his teammates it starts to take a toll on your body and some players simply become burnt out and want to move on in life regardless of their ability.
That thought occured to me and it would make sense. Some guys once cut try out with other teams...some the CFL, too.
But, to the point of the original post, why do we always assume someone advised the player to declare?
Also thought that but that would create a huge problem of kids leaving after a year or two and then coming back. Even more chaos.
How about this for a radical idea......allow kids to be drafted at any point after their college career. Allow them to be paid whatever they can negotiate by the pro team but stay in college to develop. Players making a couple hundred thousand can help their families and stay in school. The pro team can evaluate them as they develop and then decide when they are ready to make the jump.
Players get money to help dire situations, they can play until ready instead of leaving too early and screwing their careers, pros allowed more input in developing skills, takes a lot of pressure off the college coaches on advising players, more continuity on teams.
Yes bad advice to tell him he would be drafted in hindsight but maybe there was a shot he would go in the 6th or 7th round.
If this was going to be his 5th year then he opted out of it because probably he was done with PSU and wanted to move on with his life. Tired of college, wanted to get away from Franklin (LOL), whatever. I'm sure it was not simply someone telling him what to do and he just did it, he also participated in the decision. You also have to realize that these kids don't just think about how PSU football will be impacted by whatever decision they make (unlike all of us fans), they are making what they feel is their best personal decision. There is no guarantee he was going to be drafted next year either.
Coming back for another year wouldn't have mattered. It was time for him to go.
Agree but that's not really what he was trying to do. He didn't likely declare for the NFL draft to move on from the sport. He legitimately had been convinced by someone that he was ready to make the leap to the NFL. He wasn't.
I like this as long as NFL teams aren't calling up draft picks mid-season leaving college rosters scrambling to replace multiple top starters. That would ruin college. Only let them get called up after a season is completed.
As fans we envision a player using his eligibility to help the team win games. But each player has their own goals, and some players have had enough of college after 3 or 4 or 5 years and just want to either get on with their lives or give the NFL a try, even if the odds are not in their favor. Every player has his own set of circumstances and priorities that influence their decision, and I find it fruitless and short sighted for fans to second guess their decision process, especially since no one here or among the PSU fans base knows what went into their decision.
Some "fans" will even blame Franklin, when those fans know nothing about why the player chose to leave or what Franklin's advice to them was. Ridiculous.
I also as a fan wish he had stayed. He was a proven Mike LB and played well enough to help PSU win games. But for all we know Elsdon or King will develop into a great Mike LB for this team. Seeing young players develop, surprise the fans for the betterment of the team, to me is the exciting part of college football.
