Kamal Martin to Bypass the Outback Bowl

[GopherWeatherGuy]

I'm not too surprised by this considering his injuries this season.

 

[PitinoFan]

I don’t blame him. Go get the money!

 

[fmlizard]

It's a bummer but he fits the profile of the kind of guy who will likely skip bowls nationwide this year...someone who was saddled with nagging injuries and needs to be right before a Combine that could move his draft stock several rounds in either direction.

Good luck Kamal!

 

[SJUgopher]

He should. He could barely run after his injury vs Wisconsin.

 

[Maroon1992]

Is he skipping the senior bowl also?

 

[BilldGopher]

Good luck Kamal!

 

[Governor Sibley]

Get healed up!

He had no business being on the field for most of the Wisconsin game.

 

[pharmacygopher]

Is he skipping the senior bowl also?

I would imagine he'd participate in the Senior Bowl. There's an additional 3 weeks between the Outback and Senior bowl.

The message said to prepare for the draft. I would consider a week of live coaching/instruction from NFL staff/personnel would be considered draft prep.

 

[Mitu]

It makes sense for someone with his injury history. Sori-Marin and Oliver will need to step up just like they did against Penn State. Thanks for everything Kamal.

 

[Breakin' The Plane]

Well, I suppose this a better reason than the reason he skipped the bowl last year.

 

[mnsportsgeek]

Not surprised. Dude is a walking injury.

 

[Spoofin]

Good Luck to KM21

 

[Bob_Loblaw]

Not surprised. Dude is a walking injury.

He played in every game as a FR and SO. He missed 1 game as a JR (it was not due to injury).

So you make a post like this because he was banged up in 1 season as a college LBer. The dude played in over 45 college football games in 4 years.

Wow.

 

[mnsportsgeek]

He played in every game as a FR and SO. He missed 1 game as a JR (it was not due to injury).

So you make a post like this because he was banged up in 1 season as a college LBer. The dude played in over 45 college football games in 4 years.

Wow.

Did I criticize him? I would have done the same. Hence why I’m not surprised. The OP said the same thing as me. Read it however you’d like I guess

 

[MirandaB]

Sorry to not be able to watch him at the bowl but completely understand. Thank you Kamal and best wishes!

 

[BigGopher69]

I understand the decision but skipping bowl games is so lame. I wish players would play for their teammates , coaches, and university instead of the money and it’s not like Kemal is a 1st round pick

 

[highwayman]

I understand the decision but skipping bowl games is so lame. I wish players would play for their teammates , coaches, and university instead of the money and it’s not like Kemal is a 1st round pick

Couldn’t even get his name right. So lame, “fan”.

 

[#2Gopher]

Don't blame him. He gave his heart and soul for the Gophers while he could. Get well and make us proud in the NFL!

 

[MNVCGUY]

Still don't like the trend of guys skipping bowl games, but it clearly isn't going anywhere and is only going to get more and more common most likely.

I can understand why players do it though, best of luck to Kamal and hopefully the extra prep and rest will help him draft wise.

 

[A_Slab_of_Bacon]

Understandable.

 

[e.bigelow]

Good decision on his part considering his injury. Selfishly I'd love to see him play in the Outback Bowl but he has to make the best decision for himself. This is honestly a good thing as the more Gophers we are getting drafted and on NFL rosters, the better.

 

[hungan1]

Good Luck to you Kamal! Thank you for your contributions. You are a big part of the team's success. Heal up and go get the chance at the Pros that you deserved!

This is an excellent opportunity for red shirt guys to step up in the limelight and get a taste of things to come. One opportunity ends. Another set of opportunities open up for others.

 

[NotAFanOfBecky]

With his injuries to end the year I imagine he will take a bit to get healthy. I can understand the need to do what he needs to do to get healthy for the Senior Bowl and the Combine, but selfishly I'm disappointed because I know how good he can be when he's out there. Thanks for your years playing here Mr. Martin! Really enjoyed seeing a local kid make good. Crazy to think he was a QB in high school! He should have a good chance at a fine pro career!

 

[Bob_Loblaw]

Did I criticize him? I would have done the same. Hence why I’m not surprised. The OP said the same thing as me. Read it however you’d like I guess

You called him a "walking injury". It seems critical and most importantly it's simply not true.

He battled some injuries during his SR year of college football. He was really durable throughout most of his career.

 

[short ornery norwegian]

If you want a real laugh, check out the story on the Strib about Martin skipping the bowl game - and then read the "comments" posted after the story.

Like others, I'm not a big fan of the trend of players not playing in bowl games.

One question I would have - do NFL teams take it into account? If an NFL team said "we were going to draft player X but we dropped him off the board when he sat out the bowl game...." - you can bet that players would change their stance in a heartbeat.

question - can players get some kind of insurance to protect them in case they're injured in a bowl game? Maybe get some kind of group policy that covers draft-eligible players to keep the premiums reasonable?

 

[Spoofin]

If you want a real laugh, check out the story on the Strib about Martin skipping the bowl game - and then read the "comments" posted after the story.

Like others, I'm not a big fan of the trend of players not playing in bowl games.

One question I would have - do NFL teams take it into account? If an NFL team said "we were going to draft player X but we dropped him off the board when he sat out the bowl game...." - you can bet that players would change their stance in a heartbeat.

question - can players get some kind of insurance to protect them in case they're injured in a bowl game? Maybe get some kind of group policy that covers draft-eligible players to keep the premiums reasonable?

I’m fairly certain that players can, and do, get injury insurance. However, I also believe it’s payout is far less than NFL contracts.

 

[WorkingMyTailOff]

He is a very good player, and I enjoyed watching him play for the Gophers. Best of luck to Kamal! I think he will join Campbell and Wilson as former Gophers with what looks like long NFL careers.

 

[Panthadad2]

KM's knee injury took several weeks to heal enough to play, and then he reinjured it. Take the time to heal properly to help make it to the NFL. I thank KM for all his efforts in Gopherland, wish him the best and hope he blossoms for some NFL team.

 

[A_Slab_of_Bacon]

I understand the decision but skipping bowl games is so lame. I wish players would play for their teammates , coaches, and university instead of the money and it’s not like Kemal is a 1st round pick

Dude got hurt.

Then came back and played.

Then got hurt and kept playing.

That's not "lame".

 

[GFBfan]

Good decision on his part. He gave everything he could to the team for 4 years. Time for him to heal up and get his body right for the NFL draft process, so he can get paid.