July 22, 2022
Penn State football players, led by quarterback Sean Clifford, are forming their own chapter of the College Football Players Association.
In a video released through Twitter on Friday by a More Perfect Union, a media nonprofit that advocates for workers' rights, Clifford is shown talking about the need for revenue sharing and better medical care for current and former players along with what it means to be at the forefront of that conversation.
"I think that it's all about two things: It's the players that are here currently, seeing how football wears on them, and then secondly, players that have come and gone, the medically retired players," Clifford said. "I think of Journey Brown, who's my neighbor currently and one of my best buddies. The game was taken from him earlier than he expected, and it's tough for guys like that to be able to continue on and figure out what the next step is. I think that's important too. So being a leader for them is very important to me."
EXCLUSIVE: College football players are unionizing, and the first chapter will be at Penn State.
— More Perfect Union (@MorePerfectUS) July 22, 2022
The College Football Players Association is already in negotiations with the Big Ten.
Led by quarterback Sean Clifford, players want revenue sharing and better medical care. pic.twitter.com/pwg3JGRZbc
Brown, a former running back, was forced to retire during his junior season in November 2020 after being diagnosed with a heart condition.
Clifford and other Big Ten football players spoke with the conference's commissioner Kevin Warren this week about giving college athletes a seat at the table and a variety of improved benefits, mainly standardized medical care for players after their collegiate careers end, according to ESPN's Dan Murphy.
"It's been a collective group coming together," Clifford told ESPN. "Everyone wants players to have more of a voice."
While there's still plenty of work ahead, the establishment of a Penn State players association chapter and talks with the Big Ten marks another milestone in a dramatically shifting college football landscape, one where the players are steadily gaining more of a voice.
Last summer, for example, the NCAA finally caved and began allowing athletes to make money off their own names and likenesses, which had been a longstanding point of contention in amateur athletics.
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