By Jackson M., 6th Grade, Krieger Schechter Day School of Chizuk Amuno Congregation
After turning down a $5 million offer from the Oakland A’s to play professional baseball, Kyler Murray officially entered the NFL draft on January 14, just a week before the deadline. Murray has met with the Oakland Raiders and the Arizona Cardinals and will meet with the Denver Broncos to show off his talents and potentially negotiate a contract. Of these teams, Murray is projected to be chosen by the Arizona Cardinals as the first pick of the draft, which is scheduled for April 25 – 27.
There are several reasons Murray entered the NFL draft rather than playing in MLB. Many people believe that Murray’s choice was mainly a financial one. Dan McIntyre, physical education teacher at Krieger Schechter Day School, said, “I hate to think it’s money, but one of the main things is going to be money.”
Asher U., sixth-grader at KSDS said, “… he was influenced to play football because he won the award for best [college] player in the country.” Also, Asher said that he thought Murray is better at football than he is at baseball.
Murray has not spoken publicly about money; however, on Feb. 11, 2019, he tweeted, “Moving forward, I am firmly and fully committing my life and time to becoming an NFL quarterback….”
In college, Murray played baseball and football. He excelled at both sports and, therefore, was scouted professionally for both. Last June, he was drafted by the A’s but did not make any commitments. As Murray negotiated with the team, he continued his collegiate football career with the Oklahoma Sooners and ultimately won the Heisman Trophy Award.
When asked about Murray’s decision, KSDS sixth-grader Jack C. responded, “I think that he should definitely play in the NFL. I know he had a great season in baseball too, and he got picked really high. However, if he were to play baseball, he would be missing out on a lot of things. He can do a lot more with the Heisman Trophy in his hands as an NFL football player.”
Jack’s words make sense. The Heisman trophy is only awarded to one college football player per year. With it in Murray’s hands, more teams will be interested in him. It is going to be very exciting to see how Murray plays in the NFL. At what point in the draft will he be picked? To what team will he be drafted? Will he get injured? Will he thrive? Will he even be the starter? All of these lingering questions will be answered in the coming football season, but one question rules all others. In hindsight, what will Murray think about his decision to play in the NFL?
Although Murray chose the NFL path for his future, there is still much to see in his evolution as a professional athlete, whether he is going to get hurt, excel or get traded to another team. His future is not set in stone, and there is still time for him to write his story and leave a legacy.
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