Read the debate intro and the argument from Loyal Homer that no matter what the circumstances a student-athlete should complete their education.
In respect of the impressive debut from TSD’s newest contributor, Babe Ruthless, I decided to use a classic rock song lyric in my title, too. While my chosen lyric is appropriate, it does boil down a complex issue a little too simply. Encouraging a college player to leave the college environment early is a little bit of a stretch for the Sports Geek (given, ya know… the GEEK part). But, a full analysis of the situation does lead me to believe that a critical point can be reached where an athlete must choose the best use of their time. Sometimes, the best use of time is playing professional sports.
I have incredible respect for former Florida State college football star defensive back Myron Rolle. The New York Times did a substantial story on the scholar athlete and recipient of the Rhodes Scholarship to study at Oxford across the pond. Rolle intends to become a neurosurgeon after he completes his education (and professional football career, he hopes). He has already started a foundation that is going to build a medical clinic near the Bahamas. Rolle’s scholastic aptitude and ability to juggle the intense lifestyle of a top tier athlete and a top tier academic load is impressive. Still, few athletes approach the type of academic ability that Myron Rolle has.
However, for Rolle, the best use of his time is in scholarship to further his education and prepare for life after football and his ultimate goal of neurosurgery. Rolle is the rarest of rare examples.
Let’s examine two normal, contemporary scenarios (of which Rolle is not) and determine the best course of action.
Scenario 1
You are an unprivileged scholarship athlete in your junior season at a state university. You have worked hard to get good at football in order to create the opportunity for a shot at the professional leagues. Your stats are solid and your grades are not. Is their value in staying in school and completing your education?
No. Take the professional money and develop your career. Many non-athletes do not have college degrees but have gone on to be successful in their chosen career path because of hard work. See Michael Dell and that Bill Gates fella for two examples.
Scenario 2
You are a redshirt junior at a major national university. You are smart, an above average student with an actual major like Finance. You have also completed 69.4 percent of your passes for 2,453 yards and 13 touchdowns. You are the fourteenth most efficient passer in the country, and ranked fourth in completion percentage. Professional scouts are giddy over your potential claiming you are first or second round draft pick material. Do you come back for your final year of eligibility?
No. Despite your college success both on the field and in classroom, Florida State quarterback Christian Ponder, the best use of your time, talents, and resources is to continue to develop your craft at the professional level. While it may not be easy, it is not impossible to suspend a college learning career and come back to it later. It is impossible to suspend an athletic career and come back to it later in hopes of outstanding results.
Most college athletes are not geniuses. For example, Sam Bradford is a football player. He is not the Rhodes Scholar type. Attending another year of class and tip-toeing around strange NCAA rules that dictate who can and cannot purchase you and your roommate dinner is not going to do Bradford any good. The best use of his time is preparing for the draft. Sam Bradford could have received a headline like, “Sam Bradford First Quarterback Taken” or “Sam Bradford Hopes to Rejuvenate the [Team Name]s.” Instead Bradford’s headlines read “Oklahoma’s Bradford Should Have Gone Pro Earlier” or “Sam Bradford Plans to Enter Draft After Surgery.” When a primary job skill is sound decision making, it is fair to query Bradford about his insistence on staying in college. If he has another year of eligibility, but does not have his degree yet, what did this one extra, injury riddled season accomplish for him? Nothing. In fact, the season was a loss. He did not do anything to build his resume for professional teams and he managed to injure his throwing shoulder twice, requiring surgery after the second injury.
Welcome to The Bradford Effect. Any impressive and highly regarded college athlete who chooses to go pro instead of arbitrarily sticking things out in college has learned from The Bradley Effect.
Athletes, what is the best use of your time? Is finishing your education for an advanced post-football career that requires a great deal of training necessary and important? Or, like 99.9% of student athletes, is your education not the primary focus of college, but a hopeful jumping off point to a career in professional sports. The majority of athletes must make the intelligent decision and maximize their potential by aligning their capabilities with their priorities. In other words – Go on, kids… take the money and run.
