Brains and Brawn: Athletic Academics



Former Florida St. safety Myron Rolle

In this era of collegiate athletics, many spectators wonder if those students who have accepted athletic scholarships actually aspire to attain an undergraduate degree. This idea has become widespread due to Division I athletes, specifically football and basketball, at major universities who leave prematurely for their respective professional sport.

Beginning in their youth, many athletes have dreams to reach the ranks of their beloved sport. However, outside of working on their craft, the majority do not focus on the academic road that comes before the pros. Scouts and head coaches strongly recommend competing at the collegiate level because it prepares individuals psychologically, physically and emotionally to handle to pressure that comes with the job of a professional athlete. Unfortunately, intellectual preparation is regularly left by the wayside.

At the end of each season, athletes are recognized for both their proven ability to compete at a high level athletically and academically. Rarely is an individual awarded jointly for his academics and athletics hailed as a “star” player. Their peers, sometimes having questionable academic backgrounds, who win the more coveted athletic awards, typically overshadow those who are awarded for their work in the classroom.



Former Alabama QB Greg McElroy


In that regard, there is one well-known football player, former University of Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy, who shined on the field and, more importantly, academically this season. Not only did McElroy lead the Crimson Tide to a 10-3 record and a 40-7 Capital One Bowl victory over Michigan State back in January, but he was also one of 12 finalists for the prestigious Rhodes scholarship. 

For those who are unaware, the Rhodes scholarship is an international postgraduate scholarship that allows recipients to study at the University of Oxford in Oxford, England. A student must be in the upper tier amongst other competing students across the world in order to apply for the scholarship. Before McElroy’s appliance, former Florida State safety, Myron Rolle, received the award in 2009 and studied at Oxford for 2009-10 academic school year.

Rolle is the epitome of a student-athlete because not only did he attain the goal of becoming a professional football player, but he also earned an MS in medical anthropology. During his studies at Oxford, Rolle successfully balanced a strenuous academic workload and prepared for the 2010 NFL Draft. Rolle knew that his athletic ability would one day be awarded with a professional scholarship, but studying and Florida State and Oxford is an uncommon feat to achieve. After earning his degree, Rolle was also drafted by former Tennessee Titans head coach Jeff Fisher in the sixth round of the 2010 NFL Draft.



Ronnie Lott and Myron Rolle

When student-athletes put forth the effort to become great athletes and intellectuals of their generation, it shows that not all student-athletes are just attending college for the moment like the “one-and-done” freshmen in basketball. Because the NBA has made it a rule that all high school players must attend college for at least one year, it teases universities because they may have a spectacular player for just one season.

Even though some of the freshmen deserve high-praise for their athletics, a great deal of that attention should be shifted to student-athletes who perform extremely well both academically and athletically for four years at the wonderful institutions across America.