JR
Well-Known Member
Let me play devil's advocate here.....you are assuming that HBCU's do GAF about it's student athletes.
But who's to say that HBCU's care? There are selfish African Americans working at our schools NOW. I'd venture to say that Comegy and Woody cared very little about their players' lives off of the football field.
LS,
I can see where you going with this. But you are right. It can happen at our schools as well. Poor coaches or ones who just don't care will use up our athletes too. I have seen it happen personally.
Bottom line is that if you are a marginal student athlete with no get up and go about yourself and think sports is your only out. You will fail at any of these schools. Whether you are at a HBCU or PWC. No one is going to hold you hand. Now you may get some teachers or coaches to talk with you more about trying harder if they see you slipping at a HBCU vs a PWC. But make no mistake. ALL college athletic programs these days will pimp you if you allow it to happen. Some for more dollars than others.
See a kid like a Grant Hill was going to make it no matter where he went to school. Same for David Robinson.....Derrick Brooks.......Charlie Ward....Desmond Howard.. Robert Smith....etc....Those guys just had good upbringing or folks around them early on and a will to do more than just play ball.
Some kids take advantage of their situation and resources and do not allow themselves to be pimped. I will use Troy Smith from Ohio State for example. Here was a kid from the hood in Cleveland who had a troubled upbringing. Got himself in to Ohio State, took a few hundred dollars from a booster after beating Michigan and got suspended for a bowl game. Kid could have just mailed it in. But nope, he got his classwork, graduated from school on his way to a Heisman Trophy. And his degree aint general studies. LOL. But my point is that kid wanted it for himself and he utilized the vast academic resources to graduate. Even though he is in the NFL as a backup Qb for the Ravens, he can fall back on his degree. Then you have the other extreme with a Maurice Clarett.....who would have failed at any school with his mentality. Some kids get it and take advantage of the game. Some kids just think NFL or NBA and say fugg school.
Our graduation rates for our athletes at the HBCUs shole aint nothing to write home about either. So we got some work to do too. Even if we got all those kids to come to our schools. They still will have the mentality of I am going pro and fugg school. As long as there are low down sports agents out there, there will be somebody waiting on that payday....including the families. Money and fame has ruined all of sports. You see these kids already being used even on the HS level just someone posted. The mentality begins early on. It is all about how can I get that fast money. Education is just not on most of these athletes mind. That is the mindset we have to change. Get that education as well as try to get that big payday. If we can convince our kids you can do both. Then maybe we would see some better results when their playing days are over.