Adrian Peterson: Manziel And Other College Players Should Profit Off Their Own Names

A debate has been raging for years over whether or not the NCAA should allow college players to profit off of their own names. Minnesota Viking running back Adrian Peterson on Thursday thew his two cents into the ring.

Speaking to FOXSports.com Peterson said players should be allowed to earn money from their own earned reputation.

“I think so,” Peterson said. “The universities are making a lot of money off of student-athletes in general. So, yeah, he should be able to make money. I think so. They make millions off of these college athletes and they made millions off of the guys I played with as well. Yeah, he should be getting paid.”

Peterson isn’t alone in his thinking, Texas A&M University System chancellor John Sharp also believes the NCAA should back off players and their ability to earn. In an interview with NBC 5, Sharp reveals:

“I also think that there’s something, you know this is just me talking not as chancellor of the system, something is wrong with the system when we can make money off of our football players, the NCAA make money off of our football players and they can’t be treated like Olympic athletes.”

Talk about college player pay has heated up with as the NCAA investigates whether or not Johnny Manziel should lose his amateur player eligibility. Manziel came under fire recently because he allegedly accepted payment to sign merchandise for memorabilia brokers in Florida, Connecticut, and Texas.

Peterson’s argument is solid, noting that a simple signature for cash is hardly taking advantage of the system and is a right afforded to everyone but college athletes.

Do you think the NCAA needs to to back off? Should players who put their bodies through pain every single day be allowed to earn some cold hard cash?