A recession affects everyone differently. Some families breathe a sigh of relief when Wal-Mart calls back to tell mom she got the greeter job. Others cut unnecessary costs, like going out for filet mignon or going to the movies.

And then there are some who have a completely different approach.

Michael Crabtree, the No. 10 overall pick in last year’s NFL draft, recently snubbed a $20 million offer from the San Francisco 49ers in the hope of getting even more money.

Crabtree’s resolve is so strong that he has threatened to sit out for the entire season and re-enter the draft in 2010 – unless the Niners acquiesce to his demands.

Holdouts have become a constant in the NFL off-season. Every year, veterans and rookies alike refuse to report to their respective teams in the interest of getting more money. Typically, these holdouts are resolved before the start of the season, and the players (mostly) end up with the same amount of money that they would’ve had in the first place. Though it’s rare to see a rookie sit out an entire season, it’s not unprecedented.

In 1987, Kelly Stouffer – who enjoyed success quarterbacking Colorado State – opted to sit through his rookie season with the St. Louis Cardinals. Eventually, he was traded to the Seattle Seahawks after the Cardinals grew weary of him, and for the next (and entire) five years of his career, he tallied seven touchdowns and 19 interceptions.

More recently, in 2004, USC standout sophomore receiver Mike Williams declared himself eligible for the draft after a federal court reduced the NFL’s age restriction for rookies. A few months later, an appellate court overturned the decision. Since Williams had already hired an agent and attended pro workouts, his eligibility for NCAA football was revoked.

Williams was, in essence, forced to sit out an entire football season. Despite this, he was picked No. 10 overall in the 2005 draft by the Detroit Lions. The impact of missing a year of football was immediately noticed as Williams, throughout his four-year career, only notched 44 receptions for 539 yards and no touchdowns. He is currently in football limbo as a free agent.

Though the Williams case differs from Crabtree’s, the end result may very well prove to be the same. While Williams’ absence from football was not of his choosing, the experience he lost surely contributed to his swift demise on the football market.

And for you naysayers who think that these two cases couldn’t be more different, consider this:

In Williams’ two-year career at USC, he amassed 176 receptions for 2,579 yards and 30 touchdowns.

In Crabtree’s two-year career at Texas Tech, he tallied 231 receptions for 3,127 yards and 41 touchdowns.

While Crabtree has the statistical edge, the numbers are pretty close. Just because he was outstanding in college does not mean that he is destined for greatness in the pros, particularly if he opts to sit out for an entire season.

As if the historical information wasn’t enough, the 49ers might not be so quick to cater to Crabtree’s demands. After opening the year with a surprising win over the reigning NFC champion Arizona Cardinals, the Niners are showing that they can win without last year’s top college receiver in their arsenal.

Crabtree’s greed is only hurting himself. If he thinks that he is worth more than the 49ers do, he might want to think about actually playing football rather than getting paid for it.

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