The Air Force Academy decided just before the NFL draft it will not allow its athletes defer two years of active duty to immediately join a pro team, according to Nicki Jhabvala of The Denver Post (via Twitter links). The rule change immediately impacts Air Force wide receiver Jalen Robinette, a draft hopeful. 
“The Air Force notified Academy officials (Thursday) that the service would not approve requests to waiver active duty military service commitments for cadet athletes,” the Academy said in a statement (via Yahoo Sports). “Cadets will be required to serve two years active duty prior to entering Ready Reserve status, which would permit their participation in professional sports. “The Air Force places tremendous value on our cadet athletes and their contributions to the nation as we continue to build leaders of character, engage in combat operations overseas and continue to ensure our highest military readiness at home.”
Last year’s update to the Department of Defense policy allowed service academy players to fulfill their duty requirements on reserve status instead of active duty. However, the Air Force said that it would evaluate each situation on a case by case basis. Today’s news is likely disappointing for Robinette since he has been readying himself for the NFL all year.