LSU RB Leonard Fournette has two $10 million insurance policies
If all goes according to plan, LSU star running back Leonard Fournette will leave the Tigers following the 2016 season, enter the NFL draft and be one of the top picks taken.
If that plan goes awry, Fournette has insurance – a lot of it.
According to an interview with CBSSports, Fournette has two separate insurance policies worth $10 million each to protect him if an injury suffered during his junior season ultimately affects his draft stock. The policies went into effect prior to spring football.
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The site says the $20 million in policies could be the highest for any college player ever.
Fournette’s parents purchased both of the policies. The first $10 million covers total disability in the event of a career-ending injury. The second $10 million covers circumstances that would lead to him falling from his projected NFL draft spot. CBSSports.com noted that one policy could not be purchased without the other and that it’s costing the Fournette family upward of $8,000 for every million insured.
Taking out insurance on a potential NFL career is not a new trend. High-level players have been doing it — mostly with the aid of their schools — for quite some time. But the policies have gotten bigger with the amount of money the NFL is investing in high draft picks. Fournette has stayed away from any major injuries during his career, though he had nicks that caused him to miss time last season. He also missed time during spring practice because of what the team called a “soft tissue” injury.
There was even speculation early in the 2015 season that Fournette should sit out his junior year to preserve his health. Fournette dismissed the notion almost immediately.
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Not many players have cashed in on their insurance policies, which is a good thing, but at least one player reaped the benefits of his forethought. Oregon’s Ifo Ekpre-Olomu suffered a ruptured ACL and dislocated patella during the practices leading up to the Ducks’ College Football Playoff semifinal game against Florida State. Ekpre-Olomu was projected to be a first or early second-round pick, but fell all the way to the Cleveland Browns in the seventh round. However, thanks to a policy purchased with help of Oregon’s Student Assistant Fund, Ekpre-Olomu is set to collect $3 million.
For more LSU news, visit TigerBait.com.
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Graham Watson is the editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at [email protected] or follow her on Twitter! Follow @YahooDrSaturday
