Being a senior in college is very nerve-wracking as you’re finishing a chapter in your life, which seemed has lasted forever, a chapter of schooling and transitioning into the real world. I’m a big sports guy as most of my articles have been sports related and you’ll find out this one is no different. This one however has a different spin on it than other ones. I find so many people my age say to themselves, "What am I doing with my life as so-and-so is the same age as I am, a professional athlete and making millions of dollars a year before they are barely able to drink legally..." So I thought I’d take the time to go through the major sports and pick out players at the same age range as college seniors around the ages of 20-22.
NBA: Giannis Antetokounmpo
Well isn’t that name a mouthful. Antetokounmpo is one of the best prospects in the Association and is only 20 years old. The Greek import was selected 15th overall in the 2013 NBA Draft by the Milwaukee Bucks and since then has taken the league by storm. The 6’11 guard/forward will be participating in the dunk contest this year at the All-Star game in New York. He will be a bright spot in the league for years to come.
NFL: Le’Veon Bell
Okay I’ll be a little bias here, but Bell is the real deal and proved that with the year he had for the Steelers. The Spartan alum rushed for over 1,300 yards and caught 83 passes for 854 yards. As Spartan fans, we’re used to Bell living up to his potential, but going into the draft it was up in the air on how he would fare in NFL. He proved this year that he is a number one back.
MLB: Bryce Harper
I so badly wanted to put Mike Trout in this spot but he doesn’t fit the age cutoff, as he is now 23. Harper, though, is still a good choice here. He is a very polarizing player in MLB as some people just love to hate him for his off the field antics and sometimes maybe not hustling to his full ability. If he changes that and cleans up a little, the numbers will speak for themselves, as he is one of the brightest talents in all of baseball.
NHL: Gabriel Landeskog
This category was up in the air and I could have picked numerous players for this, such as Tyler Seguin or Vladimir Tarasenko. Both however have recently turned 23, as well. Landeskog wins the spot here for his leadership and great two-way play for the Colorado Avalanche. Like many Swedes before him, Landeskog excels as a complete forward. He was also named the captain of the Avs at 19-years-old. He is the youngest captain in NHL history.
Soccer: Neymar
I though I would add soccer in for fun. I cheated a little bit here as Neymar turned 23 less than a week ago. The “Golden Boy” of Brazil was the right choice though as he is one of the best players in the world and has formed a deadly tandem with Lionel Messi at Barcelona.
All of these players are basically set for life financially and are uber talented at what they do. I really don’t think people should be saying to themselves what are they doing with their lives because, yes of course, these players are very good at what they do, but we are all extremely talented at something, as well. The hard part is just finding out what that is.
