Deshaun Watson can make $5 million if he suffers a career-ending injury

By Brett Smiley
Published

It's certainly not a policy Clemson Tigers quarterback Deshaun Watson hopes to ever collect on, but it provides some peace of mind, as Watson told ESPN's Brett McMurphy.

"Very seldom do those things pay off," said Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney. "You have a better chance to get struck by lightning than have a career-ending injury, but there is loss of value insurance as well. All of that stuff is available. We educate them. I'm big on that."

In addition to the $5 million policy for a career-ending injury, Swinney is referring to Watson's separate $5 million policy that guards against a drastic injury impairing Watson's value in the NFL draft. LSU running back Leonard Fournette has taken similar precautions with two $10 million policies (Fournette is now in a walking boot after spraining his ankle in practice on Tuesday).

The debate over whether college athletes should be compensated rages on but fortunately for the players like Watson who qualify for these polices, the NCAA allows their schools to cover the tens of thousands of dollars in  policy premiums.

Watson enters his junior season as a favorite to win the Heisman Trophy with 4.5-1 odds, according to OddsShark.com, second only to Fournette at 4-1.

In the national championship game in January, Watson broke Vince Young's record for total yards in title game with 478 on a combined 405 yards passing and 73 rushing in the 45-40 loss to Alabama.