[Redrum]

AJ Tarpley was one of the most pleasant surprises I’ve ever seen out of Stanford football. Just a really solid Linebacker who made some impactful plays as well.

Anyway, with all due respect to the AAF, if Tarpley walked away from the NFL as he was playing so well, and wanted to come back for another shot at it, why couldn’t he have worked out for some NFL teams and signed with one? I mean why play in the AAF and risk injury before signing with an NFL team? Or might it be that due to the relationship the AAF has with the NFL, players like Tarpley are being told to have a go there, as that will be the preferred path back to the NFL for them?

Seems like win / win deal for both Tarpley and the NFL...although it really is  a WIN for the NFL and a (lowercase) win for Tarpley.  The minor league route reduces the NFL's risk, mainly by not taking up an  NFL roster slot on a guy who has been out of the game for a long time (in football-working-life-expectancy terms) while getting time to evaluate whether he really has game to be worth a second big league shot.  Not so sanguine about Tarpley, who is already at higher risk after his first injuries. But we tell our kids to pursue their dreams even though we know a lot, maybe most, of us make it through life just fine without burning passion guiding our eventual career choices.  More power to you AJ.  Take care of that noggin of yours.

[Redrum]

AJ Tarpley was one of the most pleasant surprises I’ve ever seen out of Stanford football. Just a really solid Linebacker who made some impactful plays as well.

Anyway, with all due respect to the AAF, if Tarpley walked away from the NFL as he was playing so well, and wanted to come back for another shot at it, why couldn’t he have worked out for some NFL teams and signed with one? I mean why play in the AAF and risk injury before signing with an NFL team? Or might it be that due to the relationship the AAF has with the NFL, players like Tarpley are being told to have a go there, as that will be the preferred path back to the NFL for them?

Seems like win / win deal for both Tarpley and the NFL...although it really is  a WIN for the NFL and a (lowercase) win for Tarpley.  The minor league route reduces the NFL's risk, mainly by not taking up an  NFL roster slot on a guy who has been out of the game for a long time (in football-working-life-expectancy terms) while getting time to evaluate whether he really has game to be worth a second big league shot.  Not so sanguine about Tarpley, who is already at higher risk after his first injuries. But we tell our kids to pursue their dreams even though we know a lot, maybe most, of us make it through life just fine without burning passion guiding our eventual career choices.  More power to you AJ.  Take care of that noggin of yours.