This Wednesday and Thursday, the NFL Players’ Association will hold its version of the annual Rookie Symposium, an event aimed at easing incoming rookies’ transition into the league, usually hosted by the NFL itself. What with this lockout on, plans changed and the Players’ Association--now considered a trade association rather than a union--will foot the bill for players’ travel, lodging, etc.
However, unlike the usual NFL-hosted symposium, players are not required to attend--and many of them, it appears, have indeed opted against it. Mike Freeman of CBSSports.com reported recently that around 100 of 254 drafted rookies will forgo their invite.
Freeman goes on to argue that this reflects poorly on this year’s draft class--that, if you are a young NFL player with the opportunity to gain knowledge through the experience of those who have been around the league a while--for free--then you should probably do it. Dallas Cowboys’ receiver Miles Austin, who went undrafted, agrees.
"If I was a rookie, and I was invited, I'd go," Austin told Freeman. "From what I've heard, these things are fantastic. I'd do everything I could to go. To get advice from greats in the sport? That's invaluable."
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