Jadeveon Clowney Expected to Buy Injury Insurance for 2013 Season
By Josh Hill
One of the biggest talkers in college football at the moment revolves around what South Carolina standout defensive end Jadeveon Clowney should do for the 2013 season. Some believe he should sit out while other believe he should power through and continue to play. Clowney hasn’t officially made a decision yet but he’s leaning towards one. The Gamecocks’ defensive end is attempting to purchase insurance that would cover him if he’s injured during the 2013 season, meaning he’s leaning towards playing.
Alex Marvez from FOXSports .com reported that Clowney has indeed attempted to purchase insurance in case he’s suffers an injury this season that puts a road block in his NFL future.
"Clowney is seeking insurance for his upcoming junior season. Richard “Big Daddy” Salgado, the president of Coastal Advisors LLC, told FOXSports.com that “a member of Clowney’s camp” inquired with his company about obtaining a policy worth as much as $5 million in case of a catastrophic injury that prematurely ends his playing career in 2013. Coastal Advisors has insured and guided 35 other top college prospects over the past 15 years in similar fashion, Salgado said."
Gamecocks’ head coach Steve Spurrier told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that Clowney isn’t concerned with just money and that he expects him to play in 2013.
“If money was his only goal in life, then he couldn’t play,” Spurrier said. “And he might not get into a car before next year’s draft so he wouldn’t be in a car wreck and get injured. He would be just very, very careful for a year not to have any kind of injury.”
According to reports, Clowney will be looking for $5 million in insurance, but he won’t be taking out insurance on a Marcus Lattimore type of injury. Lattimore’s injury hasn’t ended his career, it has just significantly altered it and therefore since it wasn’t career ending, Clowney would only get a pay out if his injury ended his football career.
The biggest flaw in Clowney’s insurance plan is that if he suffers a career ending injury and gets his $5 million pay out, it’s only a fraction of a fraction of what he’d likely make in his NFL career. Andrew Luck signed a $22.1 million contract for being the No. 1 overall pick last year and he’s well on his way to one day securing a $100 million contract from the Colts. Clowney would be a millionaire if he suffers a career ending injury, but $5 million is salt in the wound compared to what he likely can make if he continues down the career path he’s on.
Insurance is a risky business, as it’s not clear yet who’s going to pay the premium and insurance companies are better at taking money than they are at paying it out. Just because he’s buying insurance doesn’t mean Clowney is playing with a cozy safety net when it comes to how much money he’ll make in his career.
But at the very least, we now have a pretty clear message as to what Jadeveon Clowney will do next season, but his 2013 campaign will be one everyone watches with clenched fists.