Oakland Tribune: It's too much to ask Marshawn to return

By Michael Silver

AS A proud Cal alum hell-bent on reaching the Rose Bowl before global warming necessitates the game's relocation to Vancouver, British Columbia, I would love to be able to make a case that Marshawn Lynch should stay for his senior season.

Then again, I'd also like to convince Stanford to rehire Buddy Teevens and Roger Waters and David Gilmour to reunite, among other things.  Sadly, trying to persuade Lynch to wait another year before entering the NFL draft is a similarly lost cause.  Were Lynch playing any position other than halfback — even wide receiver (and yes, young Mr. Jackson, I'm talking to YOU a year in advance — I might try to argue that staying had its benefits.  Another year of seasoning in Jeff Tedford's offense never hurt anybody, and the college vibe is something to be cherished. Once that's gone, it can never be recaptured, though many of my friends and I try fervently to do so before, during and after various Cal sporting events.

We love the Bears, and we adore Mr. Lynch, but can we really ask the kid to turn down probable mid-first-round money to get his butt kicked for free for another collegiate season?  As I was just explaining to my 7-year-old son as he put on his No.24 (Lynch's freshman number) Cal jersey in preparation for the Holiday Bowl: Being a college athlete is a great deal if you play soccer or softball, but football stars get abused like Trent Edwards in the pocket.  Lynch doesn't see a penny from

the jersey sales or ticket revenue or Holiday Bowl travel packages, yet he's the guy risking his career against gang-tackling 250-pounders on Saturdays.

No football players get beat up like halfbacks, and Lynch's physical running style means he'll likely wear down more quickly than most. If he has a chance to be a top-10 pick — as my NFL sources tell me he does — then, like a Cal women's swimmer competing in a meet at Stanford without time for a trip to the rest room, he's GOT to go.  One more year at Cal would mean one less year of an NFL paycheck — and one year closer to 30, when most elite backs wear down. And that's the BEST-CASE scenario. Lynch risks suffering a career-threatening injury every time he steps on the field. It's also possible he could play poorly and drastically hurt his draft stock, as Russell White did after deciding to stay for his senior season in 1993, plummeting from a likely top-five pick to a second-rounder who was out of the NFL after three years.  Lynch might not earn his degree, as White did, but this is Business 101, and he won't flunk the course. In the meantime, if you care about the Bears, give thanks for Justin Forsett. The little dude with the big heart won't be anyone's first-rounder, but as a senior who finally has a chance to shine, he could be the kid who gets us to Pasadena.