Unlocking the Secret Twist That Changes Everything in This Story

College football’s landscape has shifted so dramatically in recent years that one has to wonder: have name, image, and likeness (NIL) deals become the game’s unexpected Trojan horse? There’s no denying NIL has handed players financial opportunities once only dreamed of—but at what cost? An anonymous player’s scathing open letter, recently revealed on FootballScoop, paints a grim picture of a sport losing its soul, distracted by money, fame, and a transfer portal frenzy that might just be more smoke than fire. This isn’t your typical locker-room grumble; it’s a heartfelt plea for football to reclaim its dignity and refocus on building character—not just bank accounts. Whether you buy the authenticity of the letter or not, the questions it raises hit a nerve in a sport already wrestling with its identity. Ready to dig into one of the most compelling debates circling college football today? LEARN MORE.

Perhaps no change to college football rules has been more impactful than the advent of name, image & likeness deals (NIL). But while NIL has given financial benefit to many players across college football, one player believes that it has destroyed the game.

In an open letter shared with FootballScoop, an anonymous player lamented how NIL has warped the priorities of players from the love of the game to “the lure of money and fame.

“It has taken the focus off of you and the team, and put the focus on individuals and their own personal gain. Young players who came to the school for the love of the game, the school’s program, and to pursue an education, are being seduced and distracted by the lure of money and fame. These young men are being exploited by big money schools and programs, often just to pad their rosters. Their focus is turned by these sales pitches, away from the team and the program that invested in them and helped develop their skills and character, and placed it on the monetization of their abilities,” the player wrote.

The player then admonished agents for pursuing players with no guardrails or protections for them. They then pointed out that there is no data suggesting that using the transfer portal improves their odds of getting drafted. 

“Football, they are idealistic enough to think that this is the beginning of a football career and not the end of it. There are no statistics suggesting that the portal increases the odds of going on to pro football. There are no studies suggesting that leaving your teammates to join a new team, leads to increased emotional satisfaction, but it is not rocket science to see that a five to six year bond will be stronger than a one or two year bond. And it is fact that education wise, a player could lose a percent of his college credits that do not transfer, which puts earning a degree in jeopardy.”

After making an impassioned plea expressing worries over the futures of so many young football players, the author stated that football should be “about developing young athletes to be men of character.” They prayed that the game manages to survive the current situation.

“Football, the college game should be about developing young athletes to be men of character. Men who know and have experienced the value of hard work, dedication, humility, and the love good coaches and teammates share. Men who value the joy and satisfaction of being part of something bigger than themselves. Football, for years you have been an incredible force in turning boys into men! I pray that you can still do that for future generations, but change must happen for you to succeed.”

Read of the night…

Powerful letter from a current college football player to… Football. https://t.co/anfk0gqHK1 pic.twitter.com/dx3GuakNpo

— FootballScoop (@FootballScoop) April 30, 2025

It’s an awful lot to take in and the letter itself is significantly longer. But it certainly seems more like a coach’s perspective on NIL than a player’s perspective.

A few users on social media are casting doubt that it was written by a player at all.

“Which coach paid this kid to write the letter?” one user wrote.

“No coach or player wrote this, just agenda pushers. Fake,” wrote another.

“Not only was this not written by a player, but it’s non-sense. College football hasn’t been about any of those things in that letter for at least 50 years which is when the schools, the corporate sponsors, TV networks and the NCAA started making millions and then billions,” a third pointed out.

Nevertheless, the message itself is powerful and should give people some pause regardless of whether it’s completely authentic.

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