<p>I apologize for a knee jerk reaction. It is a sore point, always hearing that playing football equates stupidity, whereas piano playing equates brilliance.</p>
<p>My dh was a scholarship athlete (football) at UTexas in the 80’s. He says that while there were some that probably could not realistically keep up without the aid of tutors, the majority, many of which he still keeps in touch with, did fine in college, graduated, and are now gainfully employed in a variety of fields. He says that most of the guys he played with were extremely appreciative of the opportunity to get a “free education,” and that there were very few who quit early to go into the draft. On every team, there may be a small number of “Super Stars”, but the vast majority of guys have no chance of making it in the pros and are playing for the love of the sport. They are willing to play by the NCAA rules to continue playing a sport that has meant so much to them throughout their life.</p>