Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson turned down an offer for $6.5 million in NIL money to pursue his NFL dreams, according to a report from On3.com.
Ole Miss and Tennessee also made significant offers, but Miami’s was the largest.
“Miami was kind of like, ‘All right, we’re moving on,’ and then they lost out on Sam Leavitt [to LSU] and came back with that big number,” Simpson told On3. “And then Ole Miss called again and said they could match it.”
Simpson, who threw for more than 3,800 yards with 28 touchdown and five interceptions, opted instead to declare for the NFL, where he is mocked as a late first-round pick. Tankathon.com has him going No. 21 to the Pittsburgh Steelers, who may opt to move on from Aaron Rodgers in the post-Mike Tomlin Era.
Simpson said he consulted former Alabama coach and current ESPN analyst Nick Saban on his decision.
“He’s always had a way of helping you see things clearly, sort of like your grandfather,” Simpson said.
What was Saban’s message?
“Take the money out of it. If everybody was offering you zero dollars, what would you want to do? Would you want to come back and play college ball, or would you want to go play NFL ball?”
Simpson also huddled with his family, including his father, Jason, the head football coach at UT Martin.
“I really felt good with my decision to go pro, but that amount of money to play college football again for what amounts to about eight months makes you stop and think,” Simpson said. “I remember my parents telling me that $6 million was more than they had made the whole time they had been married, but the thing they wanted most for me was to be happy.”
