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Defensive end, David King (90), tries to excite the crowd before the Sooner's football game against Texas A&M on Saturday evening in the Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Michelle Gray/The Daily |
The Associated Press released a report Nov. 18 showing OU’s football program is ranked the lowest in graduation rates in the Big 12, at 45 percent. The ranking period coincides with Bob Stoops’ first four years as head coach.
There is no discrediting that playing football in college is no simple task. It’s a sport that takes over their lives; they eat, breathe and sleep football (the cliché has merit in their case).
And we have to present a qualifying statement: 45 percent of the football players did graduate. We’re well aware the football player stereotype is absolutely unfair in the obvious case of the majority.
But we can’t shrug off the fact that a majority of the team take might be taking advantage of the opportunity for free education they are receiving.
These low numbers reveal more than just a deficit on the football players’ part. It exposes a sad truth about our university.
Since when did a university become something other than an institution of education? For any department on a university campus, the priority should never fall short of academia. And we feel that the low rate of graduation for football players is indicative of a priority shortfall.
To the football players who fall into the stereotype, we hope for your sake that you break out of it. Not only are you devaluing our university’s name as a prestigious academic institution, you’re hindering your chances of success.
Sure, it could be your dream to be an NFL player. But being realistic never hurt; we hope you realize that whether you are the best football player your university has ever seen, one unexpected injury can end your career (and we all know that injuries are all too prevalent, as seen this season).
So, please, take advantage of your education. It’s not just free – it’s an education most students would love to get for free or at least for a lower cost. There’s nothing more beneficial than knowledge. And that lasts forever.
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Football players aren't stupid - at least most of them - but all of them are here for the wrong reasons. When you play football you don't have time to study seriously, let alone pick a major that isn't fake or garbage (sociology?) We shouldn't be asking our football players why most of them are failing out. We should ask ourselves why we allow this program to exist outside of the real function of a university - to educate. What are you left with when you're a football player and you don't get drafted to the NFL? Broken dreams and a trash degree if you're lucky?
Just shows where everyone's priorities are here, or at least the priorities of that flood that comes here every weekend, shuts down and trashes our city, and could care less about education.
How many of those that didn't graduate also didn't complete 4 years due to injury (no more scholarship=no way to pay to for school) or entering some form of professional football?
I'd say there are a fair amount of non-graduates on our that aren't doing so BECAUSE of going pro. We can't just pretend that we aren't a powerhouse that's sending players to the draft every year. Albeit, that probably doesn't account for a huge portion of the non-grads, but still, give some credit where credit is due. After all Sam Bradford himself won't be graduating.
And if you're at OU solely because you want to graduate from a "prestigious academic institution" then why aren't you at an Ivy League school instead? We should celebrate the fact that we have a great football program (maybe not looking like it this year). Oh, and if you're the "best football player your university has ever seen," odds are you're one of the best players in college football history.
I appreciate the general point behind this article, but where's the respect?
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