Like many other places around the country, the Nebraska Cornhuskers have recently opened up training camp in anticipation of the fall football season. However one of the newest quarterbacks, Bubba Starling, is being held out of practice at the moment until his future with the Kansas City Royals is determined.
Rustin Dodd of the Kansas City Star traveled to Lincoln, Nebraska in recent days and was on hand when Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini spoke about his prized recruit and the decision to keep Starling off of the 105-man roster for the moment-
"The situation is normal," Pelini said. "Obviously, he’s got a lot at risk, so we communicated with the family and decided the best way to go about it."
It's not too uncommon for multi-sport athletes having to decide about beginning their baseball career after high school or attending college to play football or basketball, however it is indeed a rare situation to see a high school baseball player taken in the top five of the baseball draft and thinking about the possibility of attending college instead.
One person who has been through a similar, yet completely different situation is current Wisconsin quarterback Russell Wilson. Wilson, who was drafted in the 41st round of the 2007 June baseball draft decided to pass up baseball and attend North Carolina State where he went on to have a spectacular three-year career for the Wolfpack on the football field and also enjoyed much sucess on baseball diamond.
Because Wilson was taken in the later rounds of the draft and the money was not nearly as good, Wilson decided to look to the football field and the pursuit of a college education.
Fast forward to 2010 and Wilson was again eligible to be drafted, this time being selected by the Colorado Rockies in the 4th round. He would this time sign while also remaining as the quarterback at North Carolina State. After the 2010 football season there was a falling out at his previous university which had lead to his transfer to Wisconsin were he will likely be the starting quarterback of an experienced Badgers squad that many deem in the national title hunt this fall.
Seemingly lost in the headlines of his football transfer, Wilson also played 61 games this spring for Ashville, Colorado's Class A affiliate in the South Atlantic League.
That is where Wilson and Starling are different. Being a top five selection in the first round, Starling will have to make his decision of which road he wants to travel down, and that decision will have to be made by the signing deadline which is 11 pm on August 15th. With being such a high baseball draft selection, it will be hard to pass down his hometown team and the potential millions of dollars involved. However Starling is advised by Scott Boras who is known for not showing his poker hand until the final minute, which leaves Starling having to decide at the age of 19 which sport he loves most.