Minnesota Vikings star running back Adrian Peterson, who used to play at Oklahoma University, is for the idea of college athletes being paid.
Peterson spoke to ESPN about the debate of collegiate players receiving compensation, and he backs up the notion. Peterson went to the idea of much money these colleges make off their star athletes, who don't receive a single dime off the profits.
"Johnny Manziel made Texas A&M so much money," he said. "When I was at Oklahoma, they made so much money."
Peterson also commented on the idea of the new NBA age rule commissioner Adam Silver has proposed, where the players will stay in college for two years now.
"They're trying to make basketball players go two years in college. Wow. I wonder why?" Peterson said. "Think about it -- just imagine if LeBron James had been in college for two years. How much money would that college have made off LeBron James? They would have made so much money off LeBron James. It's about the freedom to do as you want and make your own decisions."
When Peterson was playing for the Sooners in college, he also had his first daughter. Peterson said it added to his responsibilities of playing football and going to class.
"Nobody wants to live in the dorms for four years. You see the guys who are older, and they have responsibilities. I feel like, as much money as universities make, some of that should come down to the players, as well."
The 29-year-old Peterson was a star at Oklahoma, and he definitely made some money for them. He now has made a lucrative income in the NFL, of course, but injuries could have prevented that from happening.
There's a lot of pros and cons to colleges paying their athletes.
Peterson has joined the many with the idea that universities should pay up.
