“Two runs and an offsides call later, Clarett finally broke free for a 7-yard touchdown run with 1:10 left and just like that the Buckeyes were ahead, fireworks were shot off and the Buckeyes fans rocked the stadium,” as stated on CNNSI.com.

Maurice Clarett, a freshman at the time, led Ohio State to the national championship in a game against the Miami Hurricanes in the year 2002. Clarett, like many other college players, had exactly what it took to make it to the top.

“There are thousands of big-time college football players, many of whom are black and poor (who make it to the NFL straight out of college, and often, before). Less than 1 percent actually end up signing pro contracts, and even fewer ever make serious money,” according to Scholastic.com.

However, being black and poor aren’t the main reasons that college players do go pro before they receive their college degrees.

Other motives that would move young college football stars to join the NFL early would be the following: In college they may have reached a point when they’ve exhausted all potential gains in furthering their college career; when it comes to succeeding educationally that is.

Secondly, they may choose to go pro to avoid the risk of injury in an already short football career.  Lastly, the allure of overcoming a financial hardship is why many of these college athletes shorten their college football careers in hopes of becoming a top pick in the NFL.

Maurice Clarett is an example of a star college player who was a failure at the college lifestyle in general. He was unable to succeed in the college environment when it came to attaining what we consider an acceptable grade point average. This led Clarett to try his luck at the NFL.

Another college athlete who chose to try his luck at the NFL before completing his bachelor’s would be Adrian Peterson. Peterson, who had a history of getting hurt often throughout his entire college career, may have decided to forgo his final year just for the simple fact that if he had gotten hurt during his senior year, that could have inhibited his chances of ever having a successful professional career.

In other words, athletes who are accident prone like Peterson might want to consider taking on a professional career a little early.

Nevertheless, the number one reason college football players do go pro before getting their degrees would be due to the existence of some sort of financial hardship.

Michael Vick is a prime example of a college athlete who left college before attaining his bachelor’s degree, which in result allowed him to go “from rags to riches.”

“One of the most talented and polarizing athletes of our generation, Michael Vick, had spent his childhood growing up in a poverty-stricken neighborhood where he began playing football, (yet) his success on the field in college, (led him to) his rise to stardom in the NFL,” as stated by MichaelVicksStory.com.

Like many other college football players, it is safe to assume Vick wanted a quick escape from a life that was far from perfect. He more than likely chose to hone his football talents so he could acquire some of the things that make up what we call the “American Dream”: land, money and opportunity.

On a better note, many football players do remain in college to achieve the joys of graduating and earning their bachelor’s degree. From Super Bowl MVP’s like Eli Manning to Hall of Fame players like Jerry Rice, right down to players such as Michael Oher, who inspired the making of a film that portrayed his life, some have managed to earn their college degrees and still make it as a professional NFL player.