How Many Years of College Football is Too Many?
If you would have told me that we have guys playing six or seven season of college football five years ago I would have called you crazy. Well thanks to COVID-19, every NCAA athlete gained an extra year of eligibility since the 2020 season didn’t count.
Just take a look at Oklahoma State quarterback Alan Bowman who recently announced that he would be returning to Oklahoma State and play his seventh year of college football.
If you thought that was wild, then you haven’t seen anything yet.
Enter Miami tight end Cam McCormick. Cam is returning to Miami for the 2024 season and will be playing his NINTH SEASON OF COLLEGE FOOTBALL. Yes, you read that correctly, NINE YEARS.
Now how is it possible for a player to come back for his ninth year? Let’s take a quick look and see how he got here.
Oregon 2016: Redshirt
Oregon 2017: Played
Oregon 2018: Injured
Oregon 2019: Injured
Oregon 2020: Covid
Oregon 2021: Injured
Oregon 2022: Played
Miami 2023: Played
In three of his eight seasons, he didn’t play in more than two game due to season ending injuries. When you combine that with the 2020 year that didn’t count, then he technically has only played three full seasons of football.
To put into perspective on just how long this man has been playing football, he played his first season of college football when Barack Obama was president. He was in the same recruiting class as current Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (who also went to Oregon). Herbert is going to be in his fourth year in the NFL and this man is still going to be playing college football.
Think about this. When Cam graduated high school in 2016, there is going to be someone who graduated in 2024 and they will be playing on the same team. That is WILD.
In first eight seasons, Cam has a total of 26 receptions for 231 yards and four touchdowns. Those numbers don’t exactly jump off the page, but I respect the dedication and determination this man has for playing football. He clearly is not giving up on his dream.
I get wanting to play but nine seasons? That seems a little excessive even with the Covid year. A few weeks ago, I joked about the possibility of there one day being a ten-year player in college football. I don’t think Cam will have any eligibility left after this season, but it would be hilarious if he somehow came back in 2025. He would be the Van Wilder of Miami.
By now, Cam could have been a doctor with eight years of school under his belt. I do wonder what his classes look like going into year nine. If I were the NCAA and I saw his request to get another year of eligibility, I would send back the link to indeed.com so he could start looking for jobs.
