Question on Service Academies and their Players

[IrishLion]

Joe Cardona, Patriots Long Snapper, May Leave Team to Fulfill Navy Duty | Bleacher Report

So, reading this story and thinking about Keenan Reynolds being drafted had me thinking about this situation. I thought I had read a few years ago that players that commit to playing football for an academy are signing up for service, but that service will be postponed until the end of their career if they are drafted by the NFL. I thought it was part of their contract.

Anybody know anything about this? It came up a few(?) years ago with a safety from one of the academies. He was drafted, but it was active war time, so the part of his contract that said he could postpone his duty to play in the NFL was void.

 

[dublinirish]

Joe Cardona, Patriots Long Snapper, May Leave Team to Fulfill Navy Duty | Bleacher Report

So, reading this story and thinking about Keenan Reynolds being drafted had me thinking about this situation. I thought I had read a few years ago that players that commit to playing football for an academy are signing up for service, but that service will be postponed until the end of their career if they are drafted by the NFL. I thought it was part of their contract.

Anybody know anything about this? It came up a few(?) years ago with a safety from one of the academies. He was drafted, but it was active war time, so the part of his contract that said he could postpone his duty to play in the NFL was void.

Caleb Campbell, LB from Army.

AFAIK the service academy guys do their service by working in recruiting offices in the offseasons?

 

[IrishLax]

Caleb Campbell, LB from Army.

AFAIK the service academy guys do their service by working in recruiting offices in the offseasons?

Yeah, they usually work something out like that.

 

[irishfan]

They usually try and work something out so that they can stay in the NFL. I'm surprised that Cardona might get pulled away for a year or two. Seems like they would welcome these guys being ambassadors in the league.

 

[NDohio]

Secretary of the Navy was on Dan Patrick yesterday. If you have time to listen to the podcast, do it. It was a great interview.

He said that the final decision has not been made yet, but he sees no reason whatsoever that KR shouldn't be in a Ravens uniform next year.

He did run through a group of players in several sports that have been in their professional league and had to take a leave from their sport to fulfill their duty though. He rattled off a couple of guys that are currently on ships that have already played a season or two in their respective sports.

It was interesting.

 

[OchoShayneO]

Cardona was assigned to a Naval Station in New England as a TAD or Temporary Active Duty. They will probably do something similar with Reynolds. Once the ships call for the officers they have to fulfill their obligation. I haven't heard of anyone who is just a recruiter in the off season.

 

[kmoose]

Most likely he will be given a shore duty posting, in or right around the Baltimore area, initially. If he is just pushing papers, they will probably give him as much time off as possible, to be a part of the Ravens team. But he will eventually have to rotate to Sea Duty. I'm not certain what the sea/shore rotation is for Officers, or what kind of "Sea Duty" billets exist on land for them, but they will look at him as a recruiting gem, and work with him as best they can. I don't know for sure, but I would be HIGHLY skeptical that there is any kind of "professional athlete" clause in their contract.