Former Alabama DL tells why he is happy he played before NIL era

Times have changed since Alabama’s National Championship win in 2017, and one of the players from that team is glad he played before the era of name, image and likeness.

Former Alabama defensive tackle, Daron Payne held a football camp at Shades Valley High School on Monday, and he told reporters what he loved about playing in the 2010’s.

“When I played, it was more about the team,” Payne said via AL.com. “So, it’s like when you got in and you were all about the team. Try to build your way up to becoming a starter and starting for a team. Now it’s like guys go anywhere they want to go and try to find a place that fits them. I feel like the way it’s going is good, like kids get to brand themselves and market themselves, but I liked it when it was all about building a brotherhood and a team.”

The differences between the current era of college sports and the previous era can be dissected for hours, but the main difference is depth. Like Payne alluded to, it is rare to see a five-star athlete go to a championship-caliber school and spend his first year on the sidelines, paying his dues so to speak. Today, if players are unsatisfied with playing time, money or anything else, the transfer portal gives players an unlimited number of new destinations to explore and see what is the best fit for them.

That doesn’t always benefit the player. The pre-NIL era showed that sometimes it is best to stay put because you never know when someone’s number will get called.

Players like running back Derrick Henry did not get to play much early in his college career, but when it was his turn to be the starter in 2015, he led the team to a national championship and won the Heisman Trophy.