Former West Virginia All-American and NFL running back Steve Slaton dropped by the Locked On West Virginia podcast on Sunday night, and while the main topic of conversation was Slaton's former coach Rich Rodriguez, Slaton also spoke hypothetically about had been around during his collegiate career.
When prompted about whether or not he might have been willing to transfer for a bigger check had NIL been around, Slaton gave an answer that demonstrated his loyalty to WVU.
"I would have never left, but I will say this. I probably would have stayed for the NIL, I would have stayed another year," said Slaton.
This certainly makes sense, as Slaton left WVU for professional ball before his senior season to secure his livlihood by playing the sport he loved. If the option to get paid had been available collegiately -- especially with the money Slaton would have demanded with his skill level -- sticking around could have been more feasible.
But in terms of leaving following any of his first three seasons, Slaton said he valued his place in the WVU community and in the program's history more than a quick check.
"They gave me a chance to etch my name in West Virginia history. That means a lot more to me than anything else, to where, if I left for one year for somewhere else, I couldn't etch my name.," he said. "One year would not mean nothing at one school -- what i was able to do for three years [at WVU] means a lot more to me."
Check out the full interview with Slaton below.