Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
During LSU Football Caravan on Wednesday, head coach Ed Orgeron was asked about underclassmen leaving early for the NFL but not getting selected in the Draft.

Orgeron said it's a culture that needs to be changed by educating players on what happened in the previous draft.

LSU had two underclasses, Kevin Toliver II and Toby Weathersby who left early for the NFL but were not drafted. Both Toliver and Weathersby signed undrafted free agent deals with the Bears and the Eagles, respectively.

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Filed Under: LSU Football
Originally published on TigerDroppings.com
17 Comments
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1972 months
Kill the NCAA and give them a piece of the gazillion dollars they generate while they're here.
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BigDawg042072 months
When we tout it as NFLSU you have to live with the consequences unfortunately
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Cracking72 months
Sorry for the long post, but the players and families of players need to be compensated more to encourage them to remain an "amateur" athlete. Now, an education from an institution of higher learning is not valued enough despite the disgusting costs associated with that education for a non-scholarship student that would suggest otherwise. Players take that opportunity for granted when they are 18-21 and have been given it based on their god-given athletic ability. Especially if the parents/influencers of the student-athlete see athlete first. If these players were paid for the time put into football like it was a regular job on campus, and given benefits that extend to their immediate families (health insurance, family living facilities, and career counseling) there would be more tangible value in their commitment to the school, and with career counseling for families may assist the family members to not see their 18-21 year old as an opportunity to make money, but offer him stability through their own new found independence. I truly believe most college athletes love being in college and being a part of the team, but the pressure associated with all that is expected (grades, athletic performance and finances/family) forces them to make short-term decisions. If just a few of the burdens are lifted from these young men, I believe the extra cost to the university/athletic department would pay for itself several times over in the long-term.
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FireTheAdmins72 months
Here's a wild idea: bring in LSU players who left early for the draft and never fared well. Find some totally forgotten players who never earned their degree and subsequently never made it in the NFL and have them speak to the team about how they're dealing used cars and coaching middle school teams in some dump. They're out there. Show these kids that the only sound investment is to take that free degree and earn it. Keeping them around to finish out a degree is a win-win for players, coaches, fans, you name it.
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lsutigermall72 months
You're right and this is a great angle. There are a ton of LSU superstars out there that made unwise decisions and then just fall out view. If they share their turmoils and hardships with the team, I think we should extend their scholarships and let them get their degrees.
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ColoBama72 months
But why continue to play at LSU when you're still likely not going to go into the NFL anyways? If I knew I wasn't going to get into the NFL from LSU, I would just go to some other school to get my degree. ;-)
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BassMan6372 months
You can't change the culture that greed has developed. The problem isn't these young men who go to universities to play football, baseball or basketball. The problem is the universities nationwide. What puts asses in the seats. Quality atheletics. Kids are recruited to play whatever sport and universities find any way possible to get that kid there to play. These kids come and play and are hyped up, some rise up and become great and dollar signs dance in their heads. Universities make tons of money off of them. It's a return on their investment of a free scholarship no doubt, but the universities make good money on those kids. Until the kid decides I want to get paid. Greed of money fame and whatever else lures them to the pros early. You have basketball players who play one year and are gone. That's crazy. So I was thinking of a way to fix this. .... While in college, and encouraged to get their degrees... rather than jumping to go pro set up some kind of trust funds providing it is acceptable by the NCAA Rules Committee. And incentive program that pays these kids back a little for staying and making the university more money while getting an education and seeing a team thru a National Title perhaps. When you break it down how much a scholarship is worth based off how much revenue is brought him by these kids I dont think its too much to ask to consider this as an option. I used to say damn the get a free education and then bolt for more money. I get it. Why let a university make money off your name when you can make millions. But in the case of kids who dont get drafted high or those who try the pros and fail due to whatever reason...you now have a kid who isnt getting paid, probably didnt finish college and is now struggling. We ALL love great athelets... we all want to win National Championships.. we all know we want to get paid.... Well time to change the CULTURE of big time business in College Sports.
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jmh572472 months
TL;DR
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Blind Zebras72 months
I would like the culture at LSU to change from accepting mediocrity and hiring horrible coaches
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Loaner123172 months
As would I
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Spankum72 months
sounds to me like he gave the right answer for the question he was asked...I didn't really see anything about coaching hires there.
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Nix to Twillie72 months
Look up the word “respectively.”
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Hangit72 months
How could both sign UDFA with the Bears and the Eagles? Can't they only play for one team at a time?
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Tigers4Lyfe72 months
One player went to one team and one went to the other. Some things have to be assumed some times.
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Spankum72 months
sounds like you are kinda stoopid...
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thotpocket72 months
lmao. wow
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