Baylor is on the bandwagon.
In what is quickly becoming the hot new trend in college football, Bears athletic director Ian McCaw told reporters in Waco on Tuesday that the school would partially pay for disability insurance policies for a trio of football stars this season.
Per the Dallas Morning News' Chuck Carlton, McCaw said the money would come from the NCAA's Student Assistance Fund and would help cover policies for quarterback Bryce Petty, wide receiver Antwan Goodley and offensive lineman Spencer Drango.
All three should end up as early 2015 NFL Draft picks with good, injury-free seasons this year. Petty is among the college signal-callers with a chance to be the first quarterback taken in the draft next spring.
The move to use the Student Assistance Fund is not unprecedented, and Baylor probably has to tip its hat to nearby rival Texas A&M for starting the trend of dipping into the fund for insurance policies. TAMU was among the first major football programs to go this route when it paid a reported $50,000 for a significant injury or illness policy for top offensive tackle Cedric Ogbuehi.
Florida State also reportedly used the fund to pay for a large policy for Heisman Trophy winner Jameis Winston.
We can add the Bears to the list, but it seems they're taking a slightly different approach by spreading the money out among a number of their top draft prospects.
Petty threw for 4,200 yards and 32 touchdowns last season while leading Baylor to its first Big 12 title and a berth in the Fiesta Bowl. His primary target for most of the year was Goodley, who averaged nearly 19 yards per catch while hauling in 13 touchdowns. Drango is one of the top offensive tackles in the conference, but had to have back surgery in the middle of last season. His absence hampered the Bears' offense down the stretch.
Baylor ranks 10th in the preseason College Football 24/7 team rankings.
Follow Bryan Fischer on Twitter @BryanDFischer.
