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Mike Williams opts out at SMU - Printable Version

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Mike Williams opts out at SMU - donkey687 - 09-07-2020

This may be old news to many but I didn't see this announcement a couple of weeks ago that Michael Williams is not playing at SMU this season due to COVID risk. He is focusing on his grad degree. Good for him.

https://www.dallasnews.com/sports/smu-mustangs/2020/08/24/its-not-worth-me-possibly-catching-covid-smu-dt-mike-williams-explains-why-he-opted-out-of-2020-football-season/

RE: Mike Williams opts out at SMU - Mudhead - 09-08-2020

(09-07-2020, 09:33 PM)donkey687 Wrote:  This may be old news to many but I didn't see this announcement a couple of weeks ago that Michael Williams is not playing at SMU this season due to COVID risk. He is focusing on his grad degree. Good for him.

https://www.dallasnews.com/sports/smu-mustangs/2020/08/24/its-not-worth-me-possibly-catching-covid-smu-dt-mike-williams-explains-why-he-opted-out-of-2020-football-season/

I don’t know Williams, what his NFL opportunities are or what his non football career opportunities are. Nor Do I  know how important football was to him .  How do you know it was good for him?

I didn’t play my Sr year because I needed to focus on academics to be sure grad school rather than SE Asia was m next step.  That decision, by and large , was good for me as I’m still alive , not on the street and enjoying life. Yet I still question my decision.  A college level,football year is important to a player. Choosing not to play is everyone’s prerogative,

But I’m curious, why was it good for him?

RE: Mike Williams opts out at SMU - SamuelMcF - 09-08-2020

(09-08-2020, 06:02 PM)Mudhead Wrote:  
(09-07-2020, 09:33 PM)donkey687 Wrote:  This may be old news to many but I didn't see this announcement a couple of weeks ago that Michael Williams is not playing at SMU this season due to COVID risk. He is focusing on his grad degree. Good for him.

https://www.dallasnews.com/sports/smu-mustangs/2020/08/24/its-not-worth-me-possibly-catching-covid-smu-dt-mike-williams-explains-why-he-opted-out-of-2020-football-season/

I don’t know Williams, what his NFL opportunities are or what his non football career opportunities are. Nor Do I  know how important football was to him .  How do you know it was good for him?

I didn’t play my Sr year because I needed to focus on academics to be sure grad school rather than SE Asia was m next step.  That decision, by and large , was good for me as I’m still alive , not on the street and enjoying life. Yet I still question my decision.  A college level,football year is important to a player. Choosing not to play is everyone’s prerogative,

But I’m curious, why was it good for him?

Getting to stay an extra year (will play in 2021) so his whole MBA is free.

Also, not much in the way of NFL prospects.

RE: Mike Williams opts out at SMU - donkey687 - 09-08-2020

(09-08-2020, 06:02 PM)Mudhead Wrote:  
(09-07-2020, 09:33 PM)donkey687 Wrote:  This may be old news to many but I didn't see this announcement a couple of weeks ago that Michael Williams is not playing at SMU this season due to COVID risk. He is focusing on his grad degree. Good for him.

https://www.dallasnews.com/sports/smu-mustangs/2020/08/24/its-not-worth-me-possibly-catching-covid-smu-dt-mike-williams-explains-why-he-opted-out-of-2020-football-season/

I don’t know Williams, what his NFL opportunities are or what his non football career opportunities are. Nor Do I  know how important football was to him .  How do you know it was good for him?

I didn’t play my Sr year because I needed to focus on academics to be sure grad school rather than SE Asia was m next step.  That decision, by and large , was good for me as I’m still alive , not on the street and enjoying life. Yet I still question my decision.  A college level,football year is important to a player. Choosing not to play is everyone’s prerogative,

But I’m curious, why was it good for him?

He put health and academic priorities over playing football. I applaud him for that decision. Not many people in D-1 football would have those same priorities.

RE: Mike Williams opts out at SMU - fullmetal - 09-08-2020

Cynically, he may have just leveraged his transfer into a free MBA without risk of physical injury.  Should he choose to play at SMU next season, he'll have fulfilled his implicit end of the football scholarship bargain.  Should he not play next season...free degree while SMU gets no football value out of him.

Having said that, it is a perfectly ethical choice for Mike to make, and goodness knows that the schools make enough bones off the backs of athletes anyway.  Would love to see him active in society representing Stanford rather than SMU any day!

RE: Mike Williams opts out at SMU - CardinalSagehen - 09-09-2020

Mike Williams had heart surgery in January 2018, posting to Twitter at the time, "Asking for prayer as I get surgery on my heart (Friday). Thank you and much love."  Unlike most people his age, he's had a brush with a very serious health issue.  He might consider himself to be in a high-risk category. I think it's likely that this previous condition either directly or indirectly affected his decision, which would be totally understandable. Here's wishing him all the best!

https://www.sfgate.com/collegesports/article/Stanford-defensive-tackle-discloses-heart-surgery-12529446.php

RE: Mike Williams opts out at SMU - SamuelMcF - 09-09-2020

(09-09-2020, 09:22 AM)CardinalSagehen Wrote:  Mike Williams had heart surgery in January 2018, posting to Twitter at the time, "Asking for prayer as I get surgery on my heart (Friday). Thank you and much love."  Unlike most people his age, he's had a brush with a very serious health issue.  He might consider himself to be in a high-risk category. I think it's likely that this previous condition either directly or indirectly affected his decision, which would be totally understandable. Here's wishing him all the best!

https://www.sfgate.com/collegesports/article/Stanford-defensive-tackle-discloses-heart-surgery-12529446.php

Great point and one I totally forgot about. He could certainly consider himself high-risk if there were previous complications with his heart.

RE: Mike Williams opts out at SMU - Phogge - 09-09-2020

The opt outs underscore what a different team Stanford will put on the field when play resumes.

RE: Mike Williams opts out at SMU - fullmetal - 09-10-2020

BTW, you can follow Michael on his Instagram account here: https://www.instagram.com/yung_pineapple/.  He doesn't post a whole lot though.