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noun
A person involved in athletic sporting events who not only excel on the field but off the field through academics, a
strong work ethic, and community service.

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in 2019, LA Charger's QB Justin Herbert received the "Heisman" of academic awards for completing the season with a 4.01 GPA, as a science major.

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The case study showed, "...that athletes had higher percentages of days of school attended, graduation rates, and Kansas assessment scores and lower dropout rates than nonathletes."

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LAWRENCE - The stereotype of the dumb jock has been around almost as long as sport itself. On the opposite sideline there are coaches, teachers and athletes who would argue that high school sports are as beneficial to students in the classroom as they are on the field of play. A new study from the University of Kansas that analyzed academic performance of athletes and nonathletes across Kansas shows that participation in interscholastic athletics is often associated with better educational outcomes.

Angela Lumpkin, professor of health, sport and exercise sciences, and Rebecca Achen, doctoral candidate and graduate teaching assistant at KU, show that athletes had higher percentages of days of school attended, graduation rates, and Kansas assessment scores and lower dropout rates than nonathletes. They analyzed data for students in grades nine through 12 for the 2011-12 school year in schools throughout the state.

Kansas has a policy that to be eligible to compete in sports, students must pass at least five credit hours per semester. Lumpkin cites the policy as a reason many students persist in their academic work.

"In general, an athlete is not smarter than a nonathlete," Lumpkin said. "But I would argue, and I think our evidence suggests, that just having such a policy shows the student they need to take their studies seriously if they want to compete."

Lumpkin, a former college basketball coach, and Achen, a former high school athlete and junior high coach, analyzed data from the Kansas State High School Activities Association, National Federation of State High School and Kansas State Department of Education.

The results have a number of implications regarding high school athletics, educational funding and policy. School districts regularly face tight budgets that force decisions on where funding should be cut. Evidence that participating in sports can help student performance may be cited as a factor in continuing to fund them, Lumpkin said, and convince policy makers that money spent on athletics is justified. The results could also be used as an argument for improving students' futures.

Students who complete high school have much higher economic potential than those who drop out. Conversely, those who drop out are more likely to live in poverty, face substance abuse and numerous other social problems, Lumpkin said.

Reiterating that athletic competition does not make a student smarter, the authors argue that the lessons learned in athletics, combined with the knowledge that they must do well in school to participate, improves students' persistence and chances for success.

"What we are saying is participation is important. Whether it's learning time management or handling expectations from someone in their life like coaches, teammates or family members, athletes are learning discipline," Lumpkin said.

The study compared academic performance of athletes and non-athletes between boys and girls and between white and minority students. In each measure athletes had higher academic performance than nonathletes.

"For the most part there were significant differences among the athlete and nonathlete populations," Achen said. "It showed to be true among all groups analyzed that being an athlete helped them persist."

The study did not consider how culture might affect whether a student took part in athletics and also did not break down which sports the students took part in. The majority of Kansas schools are small enough that there is not "specialization," and students play multiple sports. The results cannot be assumed to be the same in all states as policies regarding athletics and demographics vary greatly. It is reasonable to presume, however, that interscholastic athletics have academic benefits in other states, the authors said, and they hope that others will conduct similar studies across the nation.

"Involvement in interscholastic sports has a positive impact on high school students as suggested by previous research and corroborated by this study. As such, participation should be encouraged, especially for high-risk populations, and specifically for minority students," Lumpkin and Achen wrote. "The potential for sport participation to improve graduation rates, keep students in school longer and increase daily attendance should lead administrators to adamantly support interscholastic sport."

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Study shows high school athletes perform better in school, persist to graduation more than non-athletes

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Study shows high school athletes perform better in school, persist to graduation more than non-athletes

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The stereotype of the dumb jock has been around almost as long as sport itself. On the opposite sideline there are coaches, teachers and athletes who would argue that high school sports are as beneficial to students in the classroom as they are on the field of play. A new study from the U…

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Former D-end for the Texans, now plays for the AZ Cardinals

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JJ Watt helping in the Hurricane Harvey relief effort- Houston, TX

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JJ Watt helping in the Hurricane Harvey relief effort- Houston, TX

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Since 2017, JJ Watt's Hurricane fund has rebuilt 1,183 homes in Huston

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The NFL Players Association offers active players the opportunity to continue their education during the off-season

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Take courses at Kelley School of Business, Penn State and more.

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“The majority of top picks in the NFL get drafted before they complete their college education,” Polamalu continued. “I truly love football and it’s such an immense blessing... ...but it’s certainly not a replacement for an education.”

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"In 2016, the NFL pledged $100 million in support for independent medical research and engineering advancements in neuroscience related topics. This is in addition to the $100 million that the NFL and its partners are already spending on medical and neuroscience research."

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The dumb jock portrayed in pop culture

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College juniors are now free to enter the National Football League draft, the league announced yesterday. In a widely anticipated move, Commissioner Paul Tagliabue reversed league policy in anticipation of the record number of players expected to forgo their senior college seasons and petition for inclusion in this year's April 15 draft.

In a memorandum issued yesterday to NFL clubs, Tagliabue rewrote the league's long-standing rule that college players must have used their eligibility before entering the draft. The NFL was the last major professional organization to bar undergraduates from its ranks, and many believed the policy could not withstand a legal challenge because it restricts a player's ability to earn a living.

Only players who have been enrolled in school for at least three years may enter the draft, the league announced. Ten prominent college juniors already had announced they would petition the NFL for entry, including Florida running back Emmitt Smith and West Virginia quarterback Major Harris.

Agents and league officials have predicted as many as two dozen top juniors could declare their intentions to enter the draft; one still pondering such a move is Andre Ware of Houston, last year's Heisman Trophy winner.

Under the new guidelines an undergraduate must apply by March 22, and accompany his application with an affidavit "irrevocably renouncing his remaining college eligibility." Also, the NFL's supplemental draft for college undergraduates is now eliminated.

"Commissioner Tagliabue in his first months in office is conducting a widespread review of all NFL policies and programs," league spokesman Joe Browne said in a statement. "He felt it was time -- in light of both developments on campus and the reality of eligibility rules for other professional sports -- to initiate changes in our draft eligibility procedures."

Last year Barry Sanders of Oklahoma State was granted entry as a junior because his school was on probation. NFL officials had been studying the issue for some time because of the number of undergraduates petitioning for entry in 1990.

The NFL and NCAA held a series of talks on potential rule changes. A proposal supported by NCAA Executive Director Dick Schultz was to allow undergraduates to explore their worth in the draft but retain their eligibility if they did not sign with a team. Such a policy was not supported by the NFL, and Browne said that Tagliabue did not consider it practical, calling it "unworkable and counterproductive."

Browne said the league does not wish to encourage "ever larger numbers of underclassmen to forgo college eligibility." The statement cited a study conducted from 1978-88 that showed 47 percent of all first-year NFL players were released before their third season.

Tagliabue "strongly believes that staying in school is in the best interests of the overwhelming majority of young athletes for educational, athletic and personal reasons," Browne said. "It is a very difficult transition from colleges to the NFL, even for the best collegiate players. Statistics show that the chances of making an NFL team and remaining under contract for more than two years are not good, even for players who have taken full advantage of their college opportunities."

The league still might face a legal challenge, although agent Leigh Steinberg said: "The broader the classification of people allowed in, the better chance it has of withstanding judicial scrutiny." However, NFL Players Association assistant executive director Doug Allen said it is not unthinkable that a sophomore could challenge the NFL policy in court.

"It seems to me to be bowing to the inevitable," Allen said. "But it doesn't seem any more defensible. What is the difference between a junior and a sophomore? . . . It is likely to be challenged and set aside by a player in the future."

New York Giants General Manager George Young has been a longtime opponent of early entry on the grounds that players face a high rate of failure in the NFL, then have no way of returning to college football.

"Like every other industry, you want your employees to have the best education and training to come into their field," Young said. "For the few who make a million dollars, I think of the others who fall by the wayside. I'm thinking about the other ones who are misled and have illusions of grandeur. But I understand where we're coming from, the legalities."

One thing all parties seem to agree on is that the addition of undergraduates will make this an attractive draft. Among those who already have announced are Alabama linebacker Keith McCants, Tennessee running back Reggie Cobb, Georgia running back Rodney Hampton, Southern California linebacker Junior Seau and Utah quarterback Scott Mitchell.

It is believed that many juniors are renouncing their eligibility because they fear a salary cap for rookies by 1991 or 1992, thus limiting their earning potential. NFLPA director of research Mike Duberstein called it "a stampede psychology."

Steinberg cautioned that the players may be undermining their own value in the draft by coming out in droves: "If the numbers who are pondering it all enter, it will be the richest, most talent-laden draft in five or six years. . . . The effect is that some will certainly be drafted lower than if they waited a year."

NFL teams apparently have scouted some of the juniors in anticipation of the new policy, but there will be some overtime put in on researching the new talent pool.

"We scouted players we heard in the underground might be coming out," Young said. "I think most of us were anticipating this. But obviously we have some work to do."

PLAYERS ANNOUNCED AS OF FEB. 16

Player .............. Pos. ........ School

Reggie Cobb ........... RB ........ Tennessee

Barry Foster .......... RB ........ Arkansas

Rodney Hampton ........ RB ........ Georgia

Major Harris .......... QB ........ West Virginia

Keith McCants ......... LB ........ Alabama

Scott Mitchell ........ QB ........ Utah

Emmitt Smith .......... RB ........ Florida

Marc Spindler ......... DL ........ Pittsburgh

Marcus Wilson ......... RB ........ Virginia

Junior Seau ........... LB ........ Southern Cal

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NFL ALLOWS COLLEGE JUNIORS TO ENTER DRAFT

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College juniors are now free to enter the National Football League draft, the league announced yesterday. In a widely anticipated move, Commissioner Paul Tagliabue reversed league policy in anticipation of the record number of players expected to forgo their senior college seasons and petition for inclusion in this year's April 15 draft.

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Seau was only active for 2 years at USC and was drafted 5th overall by the Chargers in 1990

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Seau making a play during the 1995 AFC Championship

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Seau played for an astonishing 20 years in the NFL as a linebacker.

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Junior Seau 2015 Pro Football Hall of Fame profile

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A degenerative brain disease caused by a history of repeated head blows.

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BU Researchers Find CTE in 99% of Former NFL Players Studied

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BU researchers find Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative brain disease involving tau protein, in 99% of former NFL players studied.

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- dedicated
- intelligent
- harder worker
- adaptable
- driven
- quick
- focused
- empathetic
- healthy
- active
- charitable
- leader
- smart
- strong
- brotherhood
- fraternity
- family
- sweat
- blood
- 100% effort
- accountable
- responsible
- student
- athletic
- fast
- funny
- never give up
- determined
- open-minded
- holds others accountable
- kind
- earners
- positive
- committed
- motivated
- concentration
- confident
- self-sufficient
- can take criticism
- persistent
- competitive
- supportive
- passionate
- coachable
- respectable
- team player
- integrity
- dignity
- sportsmanship
- skillful
- goal-oriented
- creative
- perseverance
- attitude
- zest
- hopeful
- self-discipline
- desire to succeed
- humility
- trustful
- vulnerable
- will to fight
- will to win at all cost