Purchasing an insurance policy helped Texas A&M keep Cedric Ogbuehi

Cedric Ogbuehi could be preparing for his first NFL training camp right now. The Texas A&M offensive lineman submitted his name for NFL evaluation and received four separate first-round grades, all but guaranteeing his status as a first-round pick in the NFL.

Ogbuehi instead decided to stay with the Aggies, but the decision wasn't easy. What helped Ogbuehi make the choice to stay at Texas A&M and wait one more year on the NFL was a new rule instituted by the NCAA that few teams have taken advantage of so far.

Per Bruce Feldman of FOX Sports, Texas A&M was able to purchase a loss of value insurance policy for Ogbuehi that would protect him should he be injured during his senior season with the Aggies. The policy will cost the school between $50,000 and $60,000, an amount that Ogbuehi's family would have been unlikely to afford. 

"That's a lot of money," Ogbuehi said. "This really helped with my decision. It opened up a lot of doors to staying. It's a great re-assurance knowing that [coming back for one more season] is not as big of a risk-reward - just more of a reward hopefully next year."  

Texas A&M was allowed to pay for the policy out of the Student Assistance Fund that each school is able to access to help cover the cost of things like post-eligibility financial aid and travel for a student-athlete in case of emergency.

Last season SEC teams had $350,000 each in the fund, so a large chunk of Texas A&M's allotment will be used up by Ogbuehi. It's an option that not many schools have taken advantage of, or are even aware exists. 

"I don't think many schools know about it," Texas A&M associated athletic director Justin Moore said. "It's a game-changer."

The fund is an interesting option for teams to help convince their best players to remain in college for another season and not worry about the risk associated with an injury. It will be worth watching in the future to see if more teams use this same tactic and if the NCAA will see it as a negative if the use becomes widespread.