Collegiate athletics is a goal that many young athletes strive for, and while this is a reachable goal, one has to understand what it means to become a college athlete.
Having a normal life goes out the window for all practical purposes. College athletes are typically the shining faces used to represent their schools. The days of sliding into class late, sitting in the back of the room and rushing out as soon as class is finished are over. For all practical purposes, athletes on a college campus are essentially celebrities, and with that comes many issues and challenges.
Being in the public eye, as most athletes are, brings a new set of responsibilities. These responsibilities include maintaining proper work ethic on and off the field, carrying oneself in a manner that best represents who one is and what one’s college/university stands for and managing the temptations one is given easy access to.
While these are all manageable subjects, the pressure to succeed in school and excel in sports can be too much for young people. It has been seen in recent national news the events involving Brock Turner and how his “athletic privilege” helped him get released from prison early while serving for sexual assault charges. There are also the events relating to photos and a video of former Ole Miss offensive lineman Laremy Tunsil smoking pot with a gas mask on while he was still a student at Ole Miss.
When the stress of maintaining athletic and academic excellence reach a certain point, the methods of relieving this stress can lead to actions that are shameful, embarrassing and regretful. With all this being said, it comes down to each athlete at the collegiate level to remain headstrong and stay above temptation.
by Zachary Biglane
