@mld-woody said:

Perhaps in a perfect world. I tend to be a tad cynical when it comes to "student athletes". Personally, I believe that anyone

who thinks the Cam Newtons of the world are recruited to do anything other than play football are kidding themselves. I

distinctly remember Robert Smith quitting the Ohio State football team in 1991, mainly because he felt that coaches were

less concerned with their players educations than with keeping them eligible to play. According to Smith, a pre med major,

on at least 3 occasions he was pressured by assistant head coach/offensive coordinator Elliot Uzelac to miss class

to attend practices or meetings. On several occasions Uzelac told Smith "you're here to play football", or "you take school

too seriously".

Smith was the exception of college athletics, not the rule. He was an NFL caliber rb who told the system to kiss his ass. He

went on to play for the Vikings, where he retired at age 28. He held the Vikings career rushing record until some nobody called

Adrian Peterson came along.

I'm always hearing the "they're getting a free education, that's payment enough" argument and I think that that

argument is a large steaming pile of happy horseshit. You can probably go back 30 years and still be able to count the number of

NFL caliber running backs majoring in pre med on 1 hand. Let's face it sports fans, the Ray Lewises, Cam Newtons of the world

are not recruited because of their academic potential. Nick Saban doesn't go to a kid's house because he sees a potential

Rhodes Scholar--he's there because the kid can ball like a mo fo. End of story. Saban, Urban Meyer, et al, only care about academics

as far as the player maintaining his eligibility--nothing more.

College football stadiums are full on Saturday for one reason and one reason only--people want to see football played at a high level.

They don't give a shit how the kid is doing in the classroom, as long as he stays eligible. The NCAA is generating billions of dollars on

the backs of these kids, and if the kids can get make a few bucks selling autographs, jerseys, game pants, whatever, I'm all for it.