These college football players took 'stay in school' very literally

In the comedy classic Tommy Boy, Chris Farley’s titular character informs David Spade’s Richard that he graduated college — after nearly a decade of schooling.

“You know, a lot of people go to college for seven years,” he says.

“I know, they’re called doctors,” Spade quips.

Well, Casey Thompson is not a doctor, but the former Texas, Nebraska, and Florida Atlantic quarterback is joining his fourth school in seven years.

The signal-caller committed to Oklahoma, after playing at FAU as a grad student last season.

The NCAA granted him another year of eligibility after Thompson, 25, tore his ACL.

Thompson was a high school star in the state of Oklahoma, and his father, Charles, was a signal-caller for the university.

But if you think seven years is long, University of Miami tight end Cam McCormick is petitioning for a ninth year of eligibility due to being out from an ankle injury for three years.

Update Jan. 18: McCormick is returning to the U.

Northern Illinois linebacker Kyle Pugh played eight years after being beset by injuries and the pandemic. According to the NCAA, that’s thought to be the longest tenure ever for an FBS player. Luc Bequette came close, playing six years at Cal and Boston College. In 2021, he quipped, “I played with Jared Goff, that’s how old I am.”

Goff was the first overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, and the 29-year-old guided the Detroit Lions to a playoff berth.

A more high-profile name is former Georgia QB Stetson Bennett, who played six years of college football and was drafted to the NFL at age 25, where one of his college teammates had already won a Super Bowl and retired in that span.