Clowney takes out $5 million insurance policy

University of South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney can't turn pro for another year, but he's doing all he can to ensure that NFL riches await him after one more season of college football.

Clowney, a front-runner to be the top pick in the 2014 draft, took out a $5 million insurance policy against future earnings, multiple media outlets reported Thursday.

The policy is permissible under the NCAA's "Exceptional Student-Athlete Disability Insurance Program," though it only would pay out for a career-ending injury, according to ProFootballTalk. The amount owed on the premium can be paid back in the future using his expected NFL earnings.

Clowney said skipping the Gamecocks' upcoming season wasn't an option.

"Sitting out? I never thought of it. I'm going to go to school and play," he said, according to USA Today Sports.

The 6-foot-6 Clowney is coming off an impressive sophomore season in which he finished with 13 sacks and 23.5 tackles for losses. Clowney reportedly bulked up over the winter and is heavier than last year's 260-pound playing weight.

Last fall, Clowney won the Hendricks Award, given to the nation's top defensive end, becoming the first sophomore to claim the honor. He came in sixth in Heisman Trophy voting, and he's considered a contender for next season's Heisman, along with the reigning winner, Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel.

Manziel, who is completing his redshirt freshman season, also is considering taking out an insurance policy against his future earnings, multiple media outlets reported.