It's never too late

As an avid sports fan and educator, I often see the intersections of these two fields as problematic.  It's usually that colleges and universities put too much emphasis on the sports side and not enough on the education side.  We all know of the Calipari's out there who run 'one and done' factories but the fact of the matter is, most male professional athletes haven't completed their college degree.  Most female athletes have their degrees (and even Masters degrees) as they can't enter the league early. 

Now, there are a few exceptions to this rule:

• Shaquille O'Neal ~ He's got a PhD.  It's weird, but he's Dr. Shaq.
• Ben Roethlisberger ~ Graduated from Miami University in Ohio 9 years later.
• Vince Carter ~ He was criticized for missing a playoff game to attend his college graduation at UNC.  Clearly, some people have the wrong priorities.

So, I'd like to propose a national campaign for professional athletes to go back to school and graduate: "ITS NEVER TOO LATE TO GO BACK AND GRADUATE".  Imagine the effect this could have on the kids who look up to these players.  Imagine how this degree could change the future of retired athletes.  Imagine professional athletes using their off-season to finish a degree instead of getting arrested.  Imagine if the sports world publicly put this emphasis on education.  I think the possibilities are endless.

#NeverTooLate