It should come as no surprise that Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston, the 2013 Heisman Trophy winner, would take out an insurance policy on his potential future earnings in the NFL.

It's the size of the policy that's making headlines.

On Monday, Yahoo Sports reported that Winston, a sophomore, is now covered by a $8-$10 million disability and “loss of value” policy based on the assumption that he will be selected in the top 10 of next years's NFL draft. It would pay out if he drops in the draft or goes undrafted based on injury or illness during his final college season.

While it's unclear how much Winston and his family are paying for this coverage, or even which firm holds the policy, recent reports about Isaiah Austin's policy pegged his cost at roughly $5,000 per million worth of coverage. Austin is the former Baylor basketball player who received a career-ending medical diagnosis just days before last week's NBA draft and was forced to remove his name from consideration. As a player in a more dangerous sport, presumably Winston's premium is more expensive, ranging up to $10,000 per $1 million insured, according to reports.

And sometimes these policies actually do pay out, as evidenced by Austin, as well as former USC linebacker Morgan Breslin, who went undrafted in 2014 while carrying as much as $1 million in loss of value insurance. He was later signed by the San Francisco 49ers as a free agent.

But Winston is far from alone in wanting to protect his future value in the professional leagues. Click through the following pages for a slideshow of other high-profile college players who took out sizable policies on their own careers.

Sam Bradford

Quarterback, The University of Oklahoma

Coverage: $10 million

Draft year: 2010

St. Louis Rams quarterback Sam Bradford had a lot on the line when he returned to campus for the 2009 college football season, and those fears were realized when his season was cut short by season-ending shoulder surgery. It worked out OK for Bradford, the 2008 Heisman Trophy winner, though, when he ended up being drafted first overall in the 2010 NFL Draft and eventually taking home Offensive Rookie of the Year honors.

Marqise Lee

Wide Receiver, The University of Southern California

Coverage: $10 million

Draft year: 2014

USC receiver Marqise Lee's policy reportedly covered his risk of falling significantly in the 2014 NFL Draft, as he was ranked as the No. 1 receiver coming out of college this year. He ended up being drafted in the second round by the Jacksonville Jaguars, though there was no word on whether or not his insurer was forced to pay out as a result.

Johnny Manziel

Quarterback, Texas A&M

Coverage: N/A

Draft year: 2014

Another young Heisman winner, another large loss of value policy. Prior to being drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the 2014 NFL Draft, Johnny Manziel's family took out an undetermined amount of coverage on his professional future. ”We're currently in the process of doing that,” Manziel told ESPN in March 2013 about his insurance coverage. “It's just a precaution. I think there's a lot of players who have done it in the past and you never know what could happen. Football is a dangerous sport, so you kind of have to make sure that you take a precaution in that regard.”

Colt McCoy

Quarterback, The University of Texas

Coverage: $5 million

Draft year: 2010

The future looked bright for high-profile Texas quarterback Colt McCoy heading into the 2009 season, his last in Austin. And, although his NFL tenure hasn't turned out as succesful as he had probably hoped, at least his financial future was secure regardless, thanks to the policy his family bought. ”The premium is astronomical,” his father, Brad McCoy, told ESPN in 2009. “But the payback in the event of a catastrophe puts the monetary value there. We felt it was the prudent thing to do.”

Jadeveon Clowney

Defensive End, The University of South Carolina

Coverage: $5 million

Draft year: 2014

The hard-hitting Clowney first gained national attention in the 2013 Outback Bowl game versus Michigan, and from then on he looked like a lock for a high draft position in 2014. But the chance of injury also loomed large for a physical player like Clowney, who was eventually drafted first overall by the Houston Texans. Still, the $5 million policy his family took out for his final season seems like a sound investment.

Special Reports /

Jameis Winston Is College Football's $10 Million Man, and He's Not Alone

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