Cost-of-attendance stipends for NCAA student-athletes began this year, but a few thousand dollars a year wasn't enough of a consideration for UCLA linebacker Myles Jack in his decision to withdraw from college and focus on NFL draft preparation.
Jack, a junior who was lost for the season due to an injured knee, told ESPN on Thursday that the lack of compensation for his name and likeness as an NCAA athlete was a factor in his choice.
"You take all of that into account. When you see people making money off your likeness and your name, nobody else wears No. 30 at UCLA, so that jersey is mine," Jack told the "Mike & Mike" show. "I would like to receive compensation for what I've done. That's something you're thinking about. I took all that into consideration, and I felt like it was time, and that I had done enough at UCLA. I felt like this was my chance, this was my shot. Why not go for it?"
Jack made a similar comment to NFL Media's Mike Silver earlier this week: "I remember when I was a freshman I saw them selling my jersey (at the student store). I looked at the price tag: $65.99. I said, 'Ah, man, that's messed up.'"
UCLA coach Jim Mora expressed some concern that Jack, with only two full seasons of college experience, lacks enough game film for NFL scouts to evaluate. Jack, in turn, told Silver he was surprised by Mora's remarks.
The NCAA instituted cost-of-attendance stipends beginning this year, which allow member schools to give student-athletes some money to help cover costs associated with college attendance that aren't covered by a scholarship. The amount varies by school, with the highest payments reaching roughly $6,000 per year. However, athletes still receive no compensation for use of their name and likeness, and a federal appeals court ruled last week in the NCAA's favor on that matter.
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