There was a day when you expected underclassmen to stay and finish their senior season at a school. But like the compact disc, answering machine and bag phone, that day has sailed.

On Thursday Trent Richardson, Dre Kirkpatrick and Dont’a Hightower did what most had expected them to do. The trio of juniors declared for the NFL draft, where in a few short months they will become millionaires, setting themselves and their families for life. According to reports, Hightower did not attend the presser because he was ill.

Was this really a tough decision?

The game they’ve spent their lives loving is about to love them back, with lots of zeros behind the prime numbers at the beginning of each paycheck.

You have to wonder if CJ Mosley’s injury on the same turf on which they were playing Monday night helped seal their decision? Though Mosley’s dislocated hip isn’t considered a serious, longterm injury, I wonder if Dont’a had momentary flashbacks to the Arkansas game of his freshman season, when a blown knee ended that campaign for him.

Another consideration, what else was left for these players to do? Win a third national championship ring? Do you realize how short the list is of players in the history of college football who own two natty rings?

Alabama head coach Nick Saban said at Thursday’s press conference that Dre and Trent still lacked 20 hours to graduate. If there is any disappointment for the coach it would be that they leave without having attained degrees. The man didn’t establish an academic center for his players not to take advantage of what’s offered to them while playing their way through school.

“Both promise me that they’ll return to finish their degrees,” Saban said in the presser.

But in terms of accomplishment and opportunity, these players declaring for the draft early makes about as much sense as me deciding not to walk in front of a freight train today. It is a no brainer.

Impressive would be the manner that Nick Saban helps a player make this decision, searching out their NFL futures with them with consultants to help them make the best call. I can’t imagine LETTING Richardson return, let alone offering his blessing. This is a major reason why the top talent in the nation comes to play at Alabama these days; unlike some schools, once you’re there, you’re not a slave to make that program successful. You’re own success is at the top of their agenda.

Impressive is players at a press conference accompanied by their head coach making their intentions to leave school early with that coach’s public blessing. Contrast this to the cover-of-night announcement made by Cam Newton last year, or Nick Fairley’s announcement hundreds of miles from campus.

Last year, Mark Ingram did it the right way. This year, Dre Kirkpatrick, Trent Richardson and Dont’a Hightower did the same.

These players will now join Courtney Upshaw, Josh Chapman, Mark Barron, DeQuan Menzie, Marquis Maze, Darius Hanks, Brad Smelley and the Tide’s other seniors who will give it a go at the next level.

But perhaps most impressive is the way Nick Saban is able to use events like Thursday as a recruiting tool, gaining yet another edge on his competition.

Under Saban, 21 Alabama players have been taken in the NFL draft. Of that number 7 have gone in the first round: One in three. You have to think that amoung the names I just listed, there are five solid candidates to add their names to that list.

And it’s for that reason that the top names in college football’s prospects for tomorrow enter the picture at Alabama every year now under Nick Saban.

Names like Landon Collins. Cyrus Jones. TJ Yeldon. Deion Belue. Amari Cooper. Reggie Ragland. Eddie Williams, Kenyon Drake, Geno Smith and Dakota Ball.

Travell Dixon, Alphonse Taylor, Brandon Hill, Ryan Anderson and Brandon Greene. Darren Lake, Dillon Lee, Alec Morris, Caleb Gulledge, Adam Griffith, Denzell Devall and Casey Gladney.

Kurt Freitag, Chris Black, Darius Philon, Tyler Hayes and Justin Taylor.

And it’s for that reason that a junior coming out early to receive what he has earned shouldn’t be a surpise. It’s merely one of the many magnets making top talent choosing the Tide another no brainer.


(Follow me on Twitter for capstonereport.com news, commentary and smack.)

34 thoughts on “NFL a no brainer for Richardson and friends”

  1. Let’s pretend that these were Auburn juniors (Newton, Fairly) leaving early and guess the CTR take on it:

    “Auburn Juniors leaving early” …Rats jumping ship before the NCAA hammer falls.

    You fools are so biased it drops your guard and exposes your lunacy.

  2. Why read Hoopie? And don’t tell me that same garbage that “you’re defending Auburn” crap. That cesspool ain’t worth defending!

  3. Ok guys. It has been a whirlwind since the Iron Bowl. With our spot in the BCSNCG in doubt we had our minds preoccupied with other things. We never had the time or the motivation to give it to the Aubies like they deserve it after the shit they gave us last year. Now we’ve done it. We’ve one uped their one up. We can put the Corndogs behind us now and elevate the Barnturds back to favored shithead status, We owe them SO much! RTR!

      1. Miles is not as good as Saban. So yes, LSU is behind Bama right now. I mean he shut LSU out for the National Championship. Shut out. That is a pretty big statement about how things are RIGHT NOW.

        1. I didn’t watch many of the bowl games but is it true that LSU was the only team playing in them that not make a point? I’ll have to check that out. RTR

  4. Hey! Good job on winning the national championship bammers. Your starting to actually learn how to win games. And you can’t say anything about auburn because we were the national champions last year and we didn’t have to have a REMATCH game! We won because we are good. Y’all got lucky. Lsu knocked the heck out of you guys theidk first time. I know for a fact they could’ve done it again. Like I said ‘LUCK’. Its pretty funny how ignorant Alabama fans can be.

    1. Don’t post here again….unless you like embarrassing yourself. Your venom will not affect us….ESPECIALLY RIGHT NOW !!!

      Roll Tide !!

      NATIONAL CHAMPIONS…AGAIN!

    2. Pure Auburn ignorance on display here. Please keep acting like you are relevant. Bama followed up Auburns only legitimate claim to a National Championship with its second in three years. Saban isn’t done yet. I bet he wins another one before Auburn wins another Iron Bowl.

  5. AuburnTigers:

    your definition of “luck” is TAINTED like the 2010 BCS National Title where a paid slave rallied the Auburn Tigers from behind in 8 of 14 games. Furthermore, “luck” is beating a team on the road by a measly FG in OT w/o ever scoring a TD, while being outplayed by the better team. There is absolutely nothing “lucky” about a 21-0 curb stomping

  6. I just peruse the CR headlines and look for your omnipresent bias ..or reverse bias depending on the subject matter.

    Tell the CR to stop puking out ridiculous biased spin and I’ll stop polluting your thread.

    Gosh ….Bama just lost 3 Jr players to the pros and several coaches to rival teams. You biased hypocrites were screaming that AU was crumbling into the dust when that happened to us.

    1. Your mistake is trying to compare the things going on at Bama with the things going on at Auburn. You try and make them into being the same, and it is very clear that they are not.

      For instance, Auburn lost 3 Jr. players last season, and got blown out by Alabama, LSU, Arkansas, and Georgia this season. Sorry, but Bama is not going to be in pitiful shape like that next season. But Auburn just might be.

  7. Boy these auburn guys sure are funny, that was a lucky asdwooping bama put on you guys in the iron bowl you must admit.

  8. Thought Dont’a hurt his knee in the 3rd game of 09? How was he a freshman in 09? I think he caught a redshift after his injury to regain his Sophmore year? Did he rip off a time machine and go back to the SEC Championship Game of 08 to get that face mask penalty in the 4th qrtr?

    Glad you are “In The Know”!!!!

  9. Rc,
    Your very very ignorant, aren’t you? Lsu stomped the sh- out of you guys the first game. Their coach, players, and college bypass’s Alabamas ANY DAY. Lsu and Alabama Rematch y’all beat Lsu, apparently out of luck, because everyone who isn’t blind knows Lsu is way better then Alabama. Face it, Alabama fans are fags, just like Nick Saban. Yes, I know a FEW non-redneck non-ignorant Alabama fans that can actually spell their first names, but other then that you guys are VERY ignorant and blind about football. Alabama fans WORSHIP a drunken, redneck, wife beater. Other wise known as “the bear.” Don’t you think that’s a little strange? He’s DEAD. Its time to stop being dillusional and stop thinking he’s still here. Look i’ll even put it in Alabama fan language. ‘HE WENT BYE- BYE.’

    1. Tiger- What was it LSU just STSOOY??? Was that 9-6 anything like that 42-14. Now that is a stomp. RTR

        1. BCS Championship Winner = ALABAMA
          LSU lost, Bama won. Period.

          LSU stomped Bama? Now that is funny. I see ANOTHER Auburn myth in the making right there. This Tiger guy here just oozes with Bama jealousy and hate. I love it! In case you didn’t know it, “The Bear” has been gone for over 30 years. But this guy Saban, I hear he hates Auburn, and has been dominating them since he has been at Bama. 3 out of the last 4, and 2 of those have been blow out wins, with Auburns win only by a point. It really must piss you off for Bama to follow up Auburns fluke season with yet another National Championship. Roll Tide you delusional inbred tree worshipping piece of sh!t! Can’t wait for the beatdown of Auburn again next season.

          And Flash, you are one dumb son-of-a-bitch. Give it up, son. Your argument is DEAD, you have been proven WRONG, and there is nothing you can say or do about it. I told you it was going to sting. How bad does it make you feel to win so much, and then lose it all in the end to, of all people, SABAN? Man, that sh!t is funny. Now, the expectations for LSU next season are so unrealistic. The best team Miles ever had Saban dominated in the National Championship game. Saban has put the FEAR into LSU, and no one doubts who the best coach in the country is right now.

    1. Don’t know if it is true or not, but I read on one of the boards this afternoon that Brandon Hill flipped to Tennessee. Maybe because of Coach Sal going there? Could this be true? By the way where in the heck did all these Auburn fans come from? RTR

  10. Barners. Scoreboard January 9th and November 26th. Read it and weep. Want to make a bet on whether the barn will get 2 crystals in 3 years?

  11. AuburnTigers,

    Hey dipshit, 3 of your former coaches were drunken wife beaters and cheaters (Jordan, Dye, and Bowden), 1 former coach’s wife was opening her snatch for prescription pills (Tuberville), and your current coach is a cowardly, toothless redneck. Furthermore, Coach Jordan was involved in the Phenix City mafia of the ’50’s. There is no way in the world a 9-6 OT victory (where the winning team did not score a TD) is considered an ass whipping while a 21-0 curb stomping is considered “lucky.” What dumb ass, white trash hilbilly world do you live in, AuburnTigers. Do you live in the same trailer park that your football team robbed last year? You’re a waste of sperm

    Hoopie,

    We will continue to investigate and report Auburn’s White Trash University until your coach, AD, president, or alumni cleans up their own backyard. It’s their choice

    1. RC ..by using the term “We”, I guess you mean the REC?

      What happened to your NCAA investigator? You promised us a round 2 of allegations.

      Don’t bother making up an answer. It’s easy. Since Bama won, the fans are happy and the REC doesn’t have to keep them occupied by making up stuff about Auburn.

  12. Hoopie,

    Funny you should mention your “REC” conspiracy theories. Just like any typical Auburn fan.You guys really need to travel more. Is Joe Kines the REC Godfather?

    True story I’m about to tell: My friend from Minnesota is flying back to Minneapolis from the Huntsville airport last year when an Auburn fan and him strike up a conversation about football in the state of Alabama. This AU fan tries to tell my friend from Minnesota that Auburn traditionally has dominated Alabama. My Mid-West friend informs him that not only is this not true, but Alabama also has more fans and has won more National Titles. This Auburn idiot gets flustered and tells my friend that all of Alabama’s championships have been bought by the “Red Elephant Club.” He supposedly spewed his hateful venom about Alabama on the EVE of one of the biggest games in their history for a solid hour. My Minbesota friend went on to say that most Alabama fans didn’t go to Alabama. Then my friend asked if he went to Auburn. The dufus Auburn fan said, “No, but my uncle and brother did.” My friend Then asked, “What does that have to do with anything, have you even traveled ever outside Alabama?” The Auburn dumbass had NEVER been outside Alabama and worked as a car washer. The Auburn dufus FINALLY stopped talking. My friend’s family who traveled with him (including two teenagers) thought the guy was a bitter, crazy redneck with all his short-sighted bitterness. All on the EVE of AU’s biggest game.

    BARNERS: Stop hating over Bama ALL the time.You support a white trash University. TRAVEL to other states or at least cross one state line in your life. Stop embarrasing the state with your hateful venom. It makes you look bitter. Outsiders don’t understand it. For all the talk of Updyke, you Auburn idiots don’t cone out smelling like a rose with all the hateful venom you guys spew on a daily basis

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