High-Schoolers ready to tackle NFL?

Baseball does it. So does basketball. So now it must be football's turn. To do what you ask? To let high schoolers enter the draft, of course.\nThank you, Maurice Clarett. \nLast week, the Ohio State standout's attempts to gain entry into the NFL Draft proved fruitful, as a federal judge struck down the league's rule limiting the draft to players at least three years out of high school. \nI'm sorry, but getting dunked on by Shaq or striking out against Mark Prior is one thing, but taking a hit from Ray Lewis is dangerous. \nThe federal judge stated in her 71-page decision that the NFL was breaking anti-trust laws. \nThanks to your decision, your honor, the anti-trust laws won't be the only things getting broken.\nBaseball has an amateur draft where many of the drafted athletes come straight from high school. I have no problem with this because these kids have to go through rookie ball and work their way up the minor leagues. Very rarely do baseball players compete in the majors the same year in which they were drafted. Most baseball players take at least three full seasons of minor league ball before they even get to sniff the majors. \nIn basketball, high school kids are getting drafted with increasing frequency. Basketball is a different type of sport than football, however. Teams in the NBA are willing to gamble on players straight out of high school because they believe down the line these kids might blossom into superstars like Kevin Garnett, Tracy McGrady and Kobe Bryant. But it took time for these players to develop into the superstars they are today. In basketball, there is time for these kids to mature and learn the game. That is not the case in football.\nWith injuries and the need for bodies, football teams do not have the luxury of nursing along an 18-year-old kid as they make their push for the playoffs. Every able body is needed for a football team to be successful. \nThat's not to mention the actual physical difference between the two sports. Running into Karl Malone on a pick might hurt, you'll undoubtedly get a bruised shoulder, but taking a hit from Rodney Harrison over the middle, you're likely to lose your head. \nFootball is a dangerous sport even for the most seasoned veterans. You're going to tell me that these kids, and understand I mean kids, will be able to sustain those types of hits? Maurice Clarett got nicked up and injured playing less than a full season his freshman year in Columbus. Good luck in the NFL with that shoulder, but let me warn you Maurice, the defenders in the NFL hit a lot harder than those on the vaunted defenses of IU and Northwestern, to whom you lost three fumbles.\nNow that the door's open, are high school football players actually thinking about making the jump? I would certainly hope not. I know 18-year-olds are naive, heck at 18, I still thought being good at video games was a talent, but they can't be this dumb. \nI've warned you about the physicality and brutality of the sport, but how about the thick playbooks and hours of study it takes to be successful in the NFL? Even the fastest, toughest, strongest players study football about 12 hours a day, practice in full pads and get their brains beat in during drills. \nHeck, go to college and study American history or ceramics, whatever floats your boat, and I guarantee you won't be studying for 12 hours. You might not even be up for 12 hours.\nThe NFL has said high school football players have until March 1 to submit their form for eligibility to the NFL. Guys, don't worry about the NFL, it'll be there in a few years, worry about who you're going to take to the prom. \nNow that's a tough decision.