Oregon’s Ifo Ekpre-Olomu made $3 million by not getting drafted
Oregon cornerback Ifo Ekpre-Olomu earned $3 million by not getting drafted.
Ifo Ekpre-Olomu was an All-American in 2014 and was expected to be a first round pick in the 2015 NFL Draft.
However, the Oregon Ducks top cornerback tore his ACL in a practice in December as his team prepared for the College Football Playoff and his draft stock took a dramatic hit.
The 5-10, 195-pound cornerback has yet to be drafted with the draft currently in the seventh round at the time of this writing, but he’s still managed to cash in because of an insurance policy Oregon took out for him prior to his senior season. Oregon paid a $40,000 premium for Ekpre-Olomu and was one of five Ducks players who took out a policy.
Heisman Trophy winner and the No. 2 overall pick, quarterback Marcus Mariota, fellow first round pick, defensive end Arik Armstead and center and third round pick of the Chicago Bears, Hroniss Grasu had policies as did defensive end DeForest Buckner.
Ekpre-Olomu will receive $3 million for not being drafted before the end of the third round, according to ESPN.com, but it’s not cause for a celebration for the player who could have been the first corner taken had he not suffered the injury that could also cost him his rookie season.
He could have made $12.5 million if he was taken with the No. 12 pick where he was projected after his junior season and after falling out of the second round, he will make less than $1.5 million in guaranteed money. The further he slides in the draft, the less money he stands to make on his rookie contract.
It is not uncommon for top draft prospects who are returning to college to take out a policy as Ekpre-Olomu and a handful of his teammates did, but he would be the first college football player to collect on the claim, according to the report from ESPN.com.
Hopefully, Ekpre-Olomu will get his shot in the NFL either as a seventh round pick or undrafted free agent and will be able to rehab his injured knee in an NFL training facility and once he’s healthy will be able to show the form that made him such a highly regarded prospect.
It’s not the way he wanted to begin his NFL career, but he does have a safety net of $3 million as he begins the next chapter of his life and if he plays like he did at Oregon, he’ll be making up for the lost money in his second contract.
More from NFL Draft
- Green Bay may never get to host a Super Bowl, but was just awarded next-best thing
- Green Bay selected as 2025 NFL Draft location: Best memes and tweets from NFL Twitter
- Nakobe Dean perfectly explains Howie Roseman’s draft affinity for Georgia
- Andy Reid confirms the Chiefs pivoting plans after the draft
- College Football: Replacements for every first-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft