Sean McVay Has Surreal Reaction to NFL Players Returning to College Football: “Feel Like I Took a Freaking Gummy”

Former NFL TE Dae’Quan Wright is returning to college Football with LSU after the Cleveland Browns released him.

Sean McVay Has Surreal Reaction to NFL Players Returning to College Football: “Feel Like I Took a Freaking Gummy”

Rams HC Sean McVay (Image via Sports Illustrated/X)

Sean McVay may not have any headaches regarding players wanting to return to college, but he is aware that there are a couple of them in the NFL who want to take advantage of the recent court ruling and go back to earn significant NIL deals.

As per that order, former Cleveland Browns tight end Dae’Quan Wright and New Orleans Saints defensive tackle Zxavian Harris both had one year left in their college eligibility.

Both undrafted signees were waived by their respective teams. While Harris has already committed to LSU, his fellow Ole Miss teammate followed suit once he cleared waivers.

This has continued the debate that professional players should not be allowed back into college. When Sean McVay took to the dais after his team’s practice, ESPN’s Sarah Barshop asked the Rams head coach what he thought about this ordeal.

I feel like I took a freakin’ gummy.

LA Times’ Gary Klein quoted Sean McVay

This surreal reaction sums up what the 40-year-old and several other NFL coaches and analysts have been thinking. College football is supposed to be the holy grail for amateur athletes.

The Super Bowl LVI-winning coach may not have revealed much about his true opinion, but that line indicates how dizzying this entire situation is. Once a professional player declares for the draft, they should be done with their college careers.

While the court ruling may not categorically clear every player to return, the door being left open has brought up the discourse about whether this is healthy for the entire game of football.

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SEC bans former NFL players after Dae’Quan Wright & Zxavian Harris join LSU

While the argument continues among NFL circles, and certain college coaches also join in opposing this court ruling, the LSU Tigers seem to be welcoming of this opportunity.

Former NFL TE Dae’Quan Wright returning to College Football with LSU
Former NFL TE Dae’Quan Wright returning to College Football with LSU (Image via The Dawgs/X)

They left the door open for Dae’Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris to join them once they cleared waivers. Both were starters for the Ole Miss Rebels and are reuniting with their former head coach, Lane Kiffin, who now runs the program at Baton Rouge.

However, the SEC is not about to let this happen. A 16-0 vote led them to ban not just football players who have turned pro, but also basketball players. Their fine print categorically clarifies that any athlete who has signed a professional contract will not be allowed to return.

Even those who have not properly withdrawn their declarations to go pro will be banned from returning to college. This comes on the back of the B1G Ten conference also banning former NFL players.

These decisions will indirectly place the NCAA in contempt of multiple court orders, since the Louisiana court did order the governing body to allow those players with a fifth eligible year to return.

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Lane Kiffin defends the two NFL players joining his Tigers program

The official SEC ban graphic mentions that athletic directors were also involved in the voting process. That means Lane Kiffin probably knew that the conference was collectively going to stop this from happening.

When the LSU head coach appeared on the Pat McAfee Show, host and former NFL punter Pat McAfee asked the 51-year-old what he had to say about the latest bans.

This isn’t professionals that have gone and played seasons or just randomly filed an injunction in a state to become eligible. This is part of a specific class that was ruled wrong by the NCAA.

Lane Kiffin replied

It seems he is defending Dae’Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris, as neither of those players has played under a full professional contract. This could be termed a biased opinion, since Kiffin is essentially getting two of his former Ole Miss starters on his Tigers team.

However, the controversial coach made it clear that several players have benefited from court orders, and this was no different. The conference bans indicate that people want to pick and choose what they want to do, rather than follow an official directive.

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