By Troy Vincent
NFL Player Engagement
“Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.” ~ William Butler Yeats
When fall is in the air, the goal-driven student-athlete hits the ground running.
September is probably the most significant month in a student-athlete’s year. It’s the first month of being officially back to school – the start of a new academic year – and of course, it also marks the beginning of a brand new football season.
Anything can happen. You might be the one to break high school or college records this season, be featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated, win the Heisman, or be the number one draft choice. We believe that anything is possible at the start of another season of football.
Momentum is strong and your hopes are high that this year will be a huge turning point for you. If your goal is to play for a Division I school or be drafted by an NFL team, what you do during this season will likely help determine whether or not any of those dreams have a shot at coming true.
Therefore, as a student-athlete, it is completely natural that you would put the dream of playing college football or suiting up for the NFL before your academic goals.
But don’t do it.
As contradictory as it sounds, in order to achieve the kind of success you will want to see in your lifetime, excellence in both academics as well as your game must be your primary goal. They go together. If you don’t recognize the importance of your education while you are in school, you will surely regret it once your high school or college days are over.
Recently I spoke to two brothers. Both were outstanding athletes in high school who went on to play at different Division I colleges. One of the brothers made it briefly into the NFL and the other was injured in his junior year and accepted that his playing days were over.
With football behind them but college degrees in hand, they each pursued careers with Fortune 500 companies. Both of these young men have attributed their early success in their chosen professions to the fact that they attended excellent schools and are now seeing the benefits of having a wonderful education.
Although they are only in their twenties, they are already being recognized for their respective career achievements. They both agree that they have the game of football to thank for their personal advantages in the corporate world. It was their love of the game of football that led them to realizing that the biggest advantage they had as student-athletes was the opportunity to receive a tremendous education; something they value now more than ever.
Good luck this semester and this season!