Julian Pinnix-Odrick Passes on NFL

[Knight Shift]

http://www.nj.com/rutgersfootball/i..._frees_rutgers_star_j.html#incart_river_index

"We shouldn't let the game put us in a box where we feel as though we owe everything to it and it's holding everything that's in us,"

"I was indifferent," Pinnix-Odrick said. "Being out there on the field in front of scouts against good players is no place to be indifferent. Everything is on the platter to say, 'Go! This is it!' And I wasn't feeling it. Not that I wasn't trying to: I was doing the extra work, but I wasn't excited. It reinforced what I had felt."
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Best of luck JPO!!!

 

[Scarlet_Scourge]

Best of luck to him.

 

[Rokodesh]

he'll be successful in other ways. This is what college football used to be about, happy for him.

 

[kennyschiano]

wow great article, great story.

 

[RUskoolie]

I have respect for guys like this versus past guys wasting valuable career development by playing in Arena or Europe for a few years for 30k.

 

[WhiteBus]

A sales rep from our biggest wholesaler came in last week saying his daughter was recently offered a full scholarship to Rutgers to play softball.
She declined, she will play her senior year and hang up her cleats. Just doesn't want to continue the grind for another 4 years.
Needle$$ to say he is crushed but supports her 100%

 

[RAA-1]

Being an athlete today means you are doing one sport 365 days a year. There is almost no time away from your chosen sport and you have to deal with being with the same people all the time.

 

[RUMBA-JK]

I have respect for guys like this versus past guys wasting valuable career development by playing in Arena or Europe for a few years for 30k.

Certainly respect the move - but don't be so quick to dismiss the guys spending a few years in Europe playing pro - provided they have their head on straight - they may want to coach & feel this provides valuable experience - they may have long term plans that will benefit from a few years traveling in Europe -
If you have an open and inquisitive mind - valuable career development - is sometimes found in unique places.

 

[RU from Jersey]

JPO sounds like one smart dude!

 

[jmc11201]

Really good story and an impressive kid. Chasing NFL riches is clearly a draw for many, but to recognize it isn't for you and to be OK with it shows a lot of maturity. Good decision making, confidence, hard work, and intelligence will get you a long way in this world, and JPO seems to have all of those in abundance.

 

[urbanecane]

Good for him. Him and his brother both sound like intelligent and introspective guys.

 

[SHUSource]

Good for him. Really, the large (short-term) salary notwithstanding, the NFL is a terrible way to make a living, and when a kid has options, I applaud him for making the wise decision to forego it. And in 20 years, he'll be all the better for it.

 

[e5fdny]

Certainly respect the move - but don't be so quick to dismiss the guys spending a few years in Europe playing pro - provided they have their head on straight - they may want to coach & feel this provides valuable experience - they may have long term plans that will benefit from a few years traveling in Europe -
If you have an open and inquisitive mind - valuable career development - is sometimes found in unique places.

+1

"Don't let school (or in this case the "work" of football) get in the way of your education" - Henry Rutgers

 

[RUMBA-JK]

A sales rep from our biggest wholesaler came in last week saying his daughter was recently offered a full scholarship to Rutgers to play softball.
She declined, she will play her senior year and hang up her cleats. Just doesn't want to continue the grind for another 4 years.
Needle$$ to say he is crushed but supports her 100%

Absolutely understand - a serious D1 athlete (and to be fair many D2 & D3) is easily carving out 5 hours a day - (very strenuous & physically taxing hours) in the pursuit of their sport - while still carrying a full academic load.

Hard to imagine how they do it - and in some instances, depending upon the student's major, there can come a time where critical choices must be made - like stop playing or change majors.

 

[jmc11201]

Good for him. Really, the large (short-term) salary notwithstanding, the NFL is a terrible way to make a living, and when a kid has options, I applaud him for making the wise decision to forego it. And in 20 years, he'll be all the better for it.

The money is only really good if you get to the second contract (unless you are a first or second round pick).

If you make it two years in the NFL at the NFL minimum salary of ~$500k per year and then wash out, you have made a million dollars, less taxes and agent costs and lifestyle costs...so call it $350k in the bank. Now you are 24 or 25 years old with $350k - $400k if you were a little bit careful with money...if you put everything into football and don't have a back-up plan, that money won't last very long.

If you are conservative with your money, want to live a comfortable middle-class lifestyle, and never work again after football, I'd suggest you need to clear at least $4 or $5 million after taxes and agent costs which would allow you to generate $200k per year...which is doable in the NFL, but you better stick around and get to that second contract.

 

[KevH]

Being an athlete today means you are doing one sport 365 days a year. There is almost no time away from your chosen sport and you have to deal with being with the same people all the time.

Almost sounds like my job. lol!

 

[miker183]

I was happy to see he is "at peace" with his decision. His attitude leads me to think he will be successful in his future endeavors.

Good luck to him!!

 

[FanuSanu52]

Certainly respect the move - but don't be so quick to dismiss the guys spending a few years in Europe playing pro - provided they have their head on straight - they may want to coach & feel this provides valuable experience - they may have long term plans that will benefit from a few years traveling in Europe -
If you have an open and inquisitive mind - valuable career development - is sometimes found in unique places.

Good points. Not sure why anyone would respect someone less for pursuing their dream, whatever that is.

 

[Caliknight]

It was clear he was a bright individual after he penned that Targum letter after the arrests.

He will be successful in whatever he chooses to do is my guess.

 

[newell138]

A sales rep from our biggest wholesaler came in last week saying his daughter was recently offered a full scholarship to Rutgers to play softball.
She declined, she will play her senior year and hang up her cleats. Just doesn't want to continue the grind for another 4 years.
Needle$$ to say he is crushed but supports her 100%

I have seen this a few times recently, parents running around the east coast on travel teams chasing the scholarships and then the child decides they had it.

 

[RUMBA-JK]

I have seen this a few times recently, parents running around the east coast on travel teams chasing the scholarships and then the child decides they had it.

yes - they are there in just about every sport -
-cringe worth - those are not just helicopter parents
- they are fully armed high-speed scouting and attack helicopter parents - cornering coaches & singing the praises of their offspring

 

[Wolv RU]

Just wanted to throw another quote from the article in here:

"Sitting next to his mother in a booth at Henry's Diner on the Rutgers campus, the 22-year-old graduate sounds eager to meet the "endless possibilities" he sees in marketing, finance, broadcasting, journalism, public relations or small business ownership."

Sounds like this guy really has his head on right, and will be a success whatever he decides to pursue next.

 

[BigDaddyLane]

A sales rep from our biggest wholesaler came in last week saying his daughter was recently offered a full scholarship to Rutgers to play softball.
She declined, she will play her senior year and hang up her cleats. Just doesn't want to continue the grind for another 4 years.
Needle$$ to say he is crushed but supports her 100%

WhiteBus curious if the wholesaler's daughter was burnt out from being saturated with Softball travel teams and training year around as a youth. I think this will be more common moving forward as more and more parents pressure their kids at younger and younger ages in order to get a scholarship. Many of these kids loose the love of the game, because its not fun anymore. I remember growing up and playing pickup basketball, baseball, and football games with no parental supervision!

 

[yesrutgers01]

I have respect for guys like this versus past guys wasting valuable career development by playing in Arena or Europe for a few years for 30k.

Nails it...it's even true if you have some years in the league but always fighting for your spot with no guarantees. You look around at your friends that are 4-5 years into their career and realize you are falling behind them in your true career development. It's a hard decision but comes into play all the time. Keeping in mind that the NFL is the one league that most players don't walk away with money to last a lifetime.

 

[WhiteBus]

WhiteBus curious if the wholesaler's daughter was burnt out from being saturated with Softball travel teams and training year around as a youth. I think this will be more common moving forward as more and more parents pressure their kids at younger and younger ages in order to get a scholarship. Many of these kids loose the love of the game, because its not fun anymore. I remember growing up and playing pickup basketball, baseball, and football games with no parental supervision!

I know the dad was. He has put a lot of miles on his cars over the years. And he wasn't one of those parents who pushed her all the time. Her choice to play all these years.

 

[knightfan7]

I have respect for guys like this versus past guys wasting valuable career development by playing in Arena or Europe for a few years for 30k.

So you have no respect for kids following their dream?

I guess you have no respect for minor leaguers or someone trying to make an Olympic team after not making it 4 years earlier.

It's amazing how so many forget they also had dreams when they were young. If anything I believe they deserve more credit for not giving up despite having the odds against them.

 

[srru86]

Thanks and best wishes to the young man. Sounds like a well thought out plan.

 

[BellyFullOfWhiteDogCrap]

Teach your 2 year old how to throw and catch, introduce them to a diversity of sports. Play with them, not coach them. The rest will take care of itself.

 

[ru2bur]

A sales rep from our biggest wholesaler came in last week saying his daughter was recently offered a full scholarship to Rutgers to play softball.
She declined, she will play her senior year and hang up her cleats. Just doesn't want to continue the grind for another 4 years.
Needle$$ to say he is crushed but supports her 100%

A friend of mine has a similar story. His daughter was an international level competitive junior gymnast. They literally spent 10+ years of their lives taking her to practices, meets and fund-raisers. She came in 5th in her event in the US Olympic trials, they only took the top 4. She accepted a full-ride to Stanford and immediately reduced her athletic time commitment by two-thirds. She was ecstatic with the found time. She competed for Stanford for 3 years and Stanford was a consistent top 5 in the country program. She is now a doctoral nursing candidate at Columbia Nursing. Her parents are extremely happy the way life turned out for her. She's pretty happy as well.

 

[RUskoolie]

So you have no respect for kids following their dream?

I guess you have no respect for minor leaguers or someone trying to make an Olympic team after not making it 4 years earlier.

It's amazing how so many forget they also had dreams when they were young. If anything I believe they deserve more credit for not giving up despite having the odds against them.

It's called being realistic and knowing when to go in another direction. I've been there.

 

[ashokan]

Pinnix Odrick sounds like a cousin of Frodo Baggins lol