Dabo Swinney on players skipping bowls: 'Why play your senior year at all?'

The most recent college football trend is one that has come with plenty of scrutiny and criticism over the past few years.

Future NFL players who have the opportunity to make serious money have started skipping bowl games over the last few seasons, an aspect of the game that many fans are finding it difficult to support. The movement has picked up steam since the implementation of the College Football Playoff, as other bowl games have been defined — at least by some — as “meaningless.”

It’s hard to blame players with bright professional futures to skip a bowl game, especially when the risk-to-reward ratio is so high. But it’s also understandable why fans go frustrated with these decisions, and not getting the opportunity to see their favorite players one last time.

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney weighed in on the subject, and he’s not a huge fan of players skipping the postseason.

“You have different influences,” Swinney told CBS Sports’ Dennis Dodd. “Everybody kind of lives their life in fear. Anybody can get hurt in any game. Why play your senior year at all?

“I personally don’t live my life that way — wrap yourself in bubble wrap. You can get hurt doing anything.”

Swinney’s point is fair, but with so much money on the line, it’s sometimes difficult to convince a player that his appearance in a bowl game is necessary, especially if the draft status is fairly high.

Some of college football’s brightest stars have already decided to skip bowl games this year, including Noah Fant (Iowa), Darrell Henderson (Memphis), Rashan Gary (Michigan), Bryce Love (Stanford) and Will Grier (West Virginia).