NFL's Future

Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

“Oh yeah, I’m going to miss it.” Florence said. “I’ve been doing it my whole life. I don’t know whether I would have been drafted, but I have no doubt that I could have made a team. But I’ll look back and have a lot of great memories.”

Nick Florence may be best know as the successor to Robert Griffin III at Baylor but he’s now making news for his decision to forgo an NFL career to pursue an MBA. It’s an admirable choice for a guy that had a better than slim chance to be taken in April’s draft. If Florence wasn’t taken in the draft, he certainly would have been a priority free agent.

It’s a rarity that we hear of someone in full health hang up their cleats to pursue educational opportunities. Especially a quarterback that had a shot at being draft and could have made a training camp roster and hold a clipboard in the NFL while earning a solid paycheck.

Being stuck behind by Robert Griffin isn’t an easy thing for someone with the competitive spirit that Florence showed in his only season as a starter. Florence excelled in his senior season and put himself squarely on NFL radars. Florence lit up the scoreboard in 2012 passing for over 4,300 yards and throwing 33 touchdowns. He also proved to be a capable, effective runner in Art Briles system as he rushed for 568 yards and 10 touchdowns. His 4,300 yards is a Baylor single-season record for the 8-5 Bears.

Florence was a late scratch in last week’s Texas vs. the Nation game citing an ankle injury as the reason.

“My wife and I have spent the last 1 1/2 months talking about it, and it all came down to what we wanted out of life, and it didn’t include playing football.”

This is a refreshing story of a young guy making an impossible decision and we will be rooting for Florence in his career endeavors as he hopes to purse a blend of sports and business.

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