Drew Singleton was watching the TV show “Power” at his grandmother’s house last December when his phone rang with an opportunity he never saw coming. Rutgers had received a late invitation to play in the Gator Bowl just days after the linebacker had decided to enter the NFL Draft, and as a result, Singleton had a decision to make.
Should he skip the bowl and focus on his pro career?
Or should he rush back to Piscataway and grab his helmet?
Most players in his position understandably choose to sit out the postseason game to avoid injuries. But for Singleton, the pull to play was strong. He grew up in Newark and wanted to represent New Jersey on the big stage. He knew the Scarlet Knights faced long odds playing a talented Wake Forest team on short notice, and that as a defensive leader, he could help.
“I decided playing in the game was the right thing for me to do,” Singleton told NJ Advance Media on Monday. “Now I just hope I’m not penalized for doing the right thing.”
That latter part is still up in the air, although if an NCAA appeals committee truly listens to his case in the coming days — and takes an honest look at the current landscape of college football — it shouldn’t be for long.
Singleton is pursuing a waiver to return to Rutgers for his fifth year of eligibility. The NCAA denied the former Paramus Catholic star’s initial application for reinstatement because he had accepted money for training expenses from an agent after he began preparing for the NFL Draft — money that he has since repaid.
This is where the NCAA officials deciding the case should remember what’s happening in college football right now. Everyone is taking money from someone thanks to the rampant name, image and likeness deals that have turned the “amateur” level of the sport into what amounts to a second professional league.
Is the NCAA really going to punish Singleton for what feels like an archaic technicality? Especially when he hasn’t earned a cent as a professional yet?
“I hope and pray that cooler minds prevail and he’s granted the year,” Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano said. “Look, I get it. If a kid goes out and he gets paid to be an NFL player and then he wants to come back, I get that (he should be eligible). But this isn’t that.”
Singleton not only did what he believed was right for Rutgers. He was injured while doing it. He said he badly sprained his ankle on a special teams play in the Gator Bowl, requiring him to wear a boot for three weeks.
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He believes that injury held him back during the critical pre-draft workouts and may have contributed to him not becoming a late-round selection. Two of his Rutgers teammates who sat out the bowl — receiver Bo Melton and running back Isaih Pacheco — heard their names called at the draft.
“A lot of the guys decided to sit out, which I totally understand and respect,” Singleton said. “But me being a Jersey kid, a Rutgers guy, I just wanted to represent my school the right way. I’m just praying that wasn’t my downfall, that me doing what I thought was right wasn’t my downfall.”
This one should be a no brainer. Singleton wants to use his final year of eligibility to pursue a Masters degree in labor relations. He hopes a solid season for the Scarlet Knights will improve his NFL stock, which will then give him a better shot at a pro career and maybe a chance to earn some NIL cash along the way.
Singleton didn’t want to get into the details, but clearly, he isn’t the only one who needs the income. In addition to sending money back to his parents in Newark, he said he has two young nephews that he helps support.
“I always help out financially with my family,” Singleton said. “I’m just trying to get back and provide for my family. That’s all I’m trying to do.”
Drew Singleton did the right thing. NCAA? It’s your turn.
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Steve Politi may be reached at spoliti@njadvancemedia.com.