FSU Football Player Gets Rhodes Scholarship

Myron Rolle is an exceptional young man. He's starting safety on the Florida State University's football team, and thus, a likely NFL player. He also graduated from FSU, a four-year college, in two and a half years with a 3.75 grade point average (4.0 being perfect) with a pre-medical degree. He has designed a curriculum to address obesity and diabetes at a Seminole tribe charter school in Florida. His next academic ambition is a masters degree in public administration. He also just won a Rhodes Scholarship to Oxford.

In the past year, FSU's athletic program has suffered from student-athletes misbehaving. About 60 of them were engaged in one way or another in an academic cheating scandal. In addition, five football players were suspended for an on-campus fight. And as ever, there are questions about recruiting violations. So, Mr. Rolle's success is more than welcome.

Yet, the scholarship was not a foregone conclusion. The final hurdle to win the Rhodes was a scheduling conflict. The last stage of the process is an interview. Because he is attending a university in the southeast, his interview was set for Birmingham, Alabama, on Saturday. FSU had a very important game scheduled for Saturday evening in Maryland. He aced the interview (was anyone surprised?), got the good news at 5 pm, and a private plane (rich alumni like guys like him) took him to Maryland. He entered the game shortly before halftime, and FSU won handily 37-3.

The New York Times wrote,”Rolle is in his final football season at Florida State and now faces a difficult decision. He will have to choose between perhaps playing in the NFL next year and studying at Oxford. His planned course of study would be a one-year master’s degree in medical anthropology; he plans to become a doctor and open a clinic to help needy people in the Bahamas. Rolle has said that if he wins the award, he will make a decision with his family when things settle down.”

Normally, this journal would tell any young person to maximize education, but in this case, one might suggest a more balanced approach. Oxford University dates back to the 12th century, and it looks like it will survive a bit longer regardless of what the Labour government may do to English education. Mr. Rolle may have a chance to play professional football – something his body will only permit for a few short years. If he is the star on the gridiron that most expect, he will command millions of dollars a year in pay. He could easily fund that clinic, get others to operate it, and use his high profile to expand its reach. When he finally must retire, one is quite certain that Oxford will take him in. It is a difficult decision to be sure, but one thing might weigh in favor of the NFL – based on the best intelligence possible, there still isn't a decent place to eat at Oxford.

© Copyright 2008 by The Kensington Review, Jeff Myhre, PhD, Editor. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent. Produced using Fedora Linux.

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