The Student Athlete

The Rhodes Scholar Trust announced its 2008 recipients today Nov 23. The scholars being selected from 764 applicants endorsed by 294 colleges and universities. The Trust Scholarships, the oldest of the international study awards to American students, provide two of three years of study. The students will enter Oxford University in England next October.

The Rhodes Scholarship was created in 1902 by British philanthropist Cecil Rhodes. Winners are selected on the basis of high academic achievement, personal integrity, leadership potential and physical vigor, among other attributes. Past winners include President Bill Clinton, U.S. Supreme Court Justice David Souter, Singer Kris Kristofferson, Former U.S. Senator and New York Knick Bill Bradley, and General Wesley Clark (ret.). In all 3,142 Americans have won Rhodes Scholarships representing 307 colleges and universities

Myron Rolle a defensive back at Florida State was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship today. He not your typical student athlete, especially if you are playing at this program. Florida State is not synonymous with athletics and higher education, as they seam to have their fair share of field troubles year in and year out.

Myron Rolle who should be made an example to the next generation of student athletes. "In the midst of the trouble that have gone on here at Florida State academically there are still student athletes doing the right thing," Rolle said. " Possibly we can move that perception from being a school that's just focused on partying and athletics.

Rolle who is one FSU's top defensive backs was allowed to miss the beginning of Saturday's game vs. Maryland for his interview with the Trust committee. Bowden was quoted as saying, "It's a no-brainer," and I know academics come first." One can only wish that Bowden and other coach staff's around the country would recruit more players like Rolle.

Myron Rolle is coach Bowden's first Rhodes Scholar athlete, in a career that has spanned six decades.

I would like to commend Rolle in his pursuit of a higher education. I wish the NCAA promoted more of this type of student athlete. I'm not crazy to believe every player is going to win a Rhodes Scholarship, but can they not strive for this type of excellence? These athletes have a gift, and for the most part are rewarded with some kind of aide form there respective schools.

I do not believe these same institutes always have the best interests of the there student athletes. If they did than the amount of academic fraud, we have all heard, or read and even may have first hand knowledge of, is appalling. We all know it goes to some extreme at every major program.

Why does the NCAA allow this to continue? They catch only those who are blatantly cheating, a bigger question maybe why to people turn a blind eye to this. One very large reason is greed, the revenues these programs generate appear to allow this cycle to go on and on. How or when does it stop or end. One way would to be actually foster and promote the student athlete, and maybe just maybe, we as Americans could find the leaders we desperately need at this time.

contributing The Associated Press