Paul Finebaum describes ‘chilling effect’ Tua Tagovailoa injury will have on elite college athletes

Is it worth a college football player risking a possible NFL career to play in one of the many access bowls that exist today? ESPN’s Paul Finebaum doesn’ think so.

It’s needless to say that the injury of Tua Tagovailoa on Saturday sent shockwaves throughout the SEC, but one of the conference’s lead media voices feels that the impact may reach even further. During an appearance on ESPN’s “Outside the Lines” on Tuesday, Finebaum mentioned Tagovailoa’s injury and explained the “chilling effect” it would have on current and future athletes who might have professional aspirations but want to maintain their health and avoid injury, rather than risk getting hurt in a lesser-known bowl game.

“There isn’t a college player in America who watched what we all saw Saturday and didn’t start thinking about their own mortality,” Finebaum said. “I think you’ll start seeing it very soon here, especially when we get to the bowl games…when players say, ‘You know what, I’m not playing in some (minor) bowl. It’s just not worth it. Maybe for the national championship or the Rose Bowl, but of these meaningless bowls, players are not going to participate, especially the elite athletes.”

You can view more of Finebaum’s appearance on “Outside the Lines” below.

"For now, he's just a young man that doesn't have anything except some great memories and serious heartbreaks…"
@finebaum describes what the fallout of #TuaTagovailoa's injury could be for Tua's future and college football. pic.twitter.com/2YEeWOYmc3

— Outside the Lines (@OTLonESPN) November 19, 2019

Sydney Hunte

Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.