Richard Sherman and Michael Bennett are preparing for the NFL’s biggest game, but both of them have plenty of opinions about college football. And they weren't shy about giving them at Thursday's Super Bowl XLIX media session.
Bennett, who attended Texas A&M, called the NCAA “one of the biggest scams in America.”
MORE: Muschamp's lingering effects | QB carousel keeps spinning | Could FSU hit bump in 2015?
"These kids put so much on the line. They [the NCAA] say, 'We give you a free degree.' That's like me owning a restaurant and saying, 'I'll give you a free burger.' It makes me so mad and irate. Universities need to do more for the student [athletes].''
When asked if college athletes are given enough time to take advantage of their education, Sherman gave a definite no.
“It’s frustrating because a lot of people get upset with student-athletes and say they’re not focused on school and they’re not taking advantage of the opportunity they’re given,” Sherman said.
Bennett is among the growing group that thinks colleges should pay athletes.
"My school, Texas A&M, I think makes $50 million just on jersey sales,” Bennett said. “So I would say pay $60,000 [to student-athletes] for every year you stay in college. Keep that in a 401k. After you graduate, hold that money until you are a certain age and then you get the money."
Now an elite NFL cornerback, Sherman says he struggled financially while starring on the field at Stanford.
“I can tell you from experience, I had negative-40 bucks in my account,” he said. “Usually my account was in the negative more time than it was in the positive. You’ve got to make decisions on whether you get gas for your car or whether you get a meal for the day. You’ve got one of the two choices.”