Jan 13 2009
Thank you, Myron Rolle
This is a story I have been following for quite some time now, ever since it was first reported that Myron Rolle was a finalist for a Rhodes Scholarship at Oxford University.
For anyone who might not know, Myron Rolle is a junior safety on Florida State’s football team, an All-American who was projected to be selected in the early rounds of the 2009 NFL Draft if he chose to forgo his senior season. But he also completed his undergraduate pre-med degree in 2 1/2 years at FSU and has been taking graduate courses since, while still playing high level college football.
But the most remarkable part of this story is that Rolle has announced that he will actually skip the 2009 draft and attend Oxford instead, pursuing a Master’s degree in medical anthropology.
It is refreshing to hear about a true student-athlete like Rolle. He obviously has a great deal of athletic ability and skill, but he has decided that becoming an NFL player (and receiving all the riches that comes with it) is of secondary importance to studying at Oxford and furthering his progress towards his goal of a medical degree and opening a medical clinic in the Bahamas. He still has a goal of playing in the NFL and will enter the 2010 draft to accomplish that goal, but he obviously believes that there are more important things for him to do outside of his athletic pursuits.
I haven’t spoken with anyone who doesn’t believe this is one of the best stories to come out of the sports world in recent years, especially in light of all the bad publicity and controversies that have plagued college and professional athletics recently. And while I don’t think it is a story that has been publicized nearly enough, Myron Rolle would probably want it that way.
Thank you, Myron Rolle.
