Reader comments
Dick Harmon: Recruits: Making it isn't easy

This is a good article. It's very rare when more than 50 to 60% of recruits become real contributors to the programs.

I'd love to see an article following up a years recruiting class to see how many of the "student-athletes" actually get degrees. That should be the end purpose of every recruits sccholarship. College football is great, but I'm worried that academics still aren't taken seriously enough. I also believe some great athletes shouldn't be recruited at all because they have little or no chance of succeeding academically, as pointed out by Harmon. (some schools abuse these types) I know some of the athletes at BYU really struggle to keep up with the many "brainiacs" that thrive academically.

Who care cares if they don't gradjooate. As long as they make it to the NFL it doesn't even matter.

i signed with usu a few years ago and at the end of my second year there i was medically released do to an injury. once i was injuried they could care less about, the coaches wouldn't say a word to me after that. I would say that 15 is a high number maybe 10 out of the 25 will have a senior year and i would say half of them will graduate. I know guys that had one semester left and just went home without a degree, and i know it is the same in every school either because they think that they will make it to the nfl or just to damn lazy to go to class

I find it quite ironic that the player given the defensive future award at utah his first year is then moved to the O-line his next year. Way to pick the award winners.

All the more reasons for these kids to get the best education they can while its free from the university.

Football is a brutal sport, a lot of guys can't/won't make it all four years. But it's still a great experience.

I played college basketball and got some schooling payed for - what a great opportunity and experience.

I just hope most of these kids realize they are not going to go "pro" in their sport and need to take advantage of the free education.

You also have to consider walk ons in this scenario. I was a decatholete in college and know how it is to have to go to school, three different practices, lift weights, do homework and then try to have any semblance of a normal college life. Not to mention alot of these kids arent even up to the accademic standards to be able to get into a major university. We see it all the time when a surprise comes into the NFL out of a tournament devision college team, but if we look back they were usually recruited by big named schools and couldnt qualify, or qualified and then failed out and had to transfer. Either way, you take what you can get.

From personal experience, I think that there should be improved counseling at utahs universities, as well as on the high school level to get students cleared initialy through the NCAA clearinghouse.

The Average NFL Career is something less than 4 years.

While the average player now is making 1.5 million a year, if that money isn't well managed the player is then without a degree, injured permanently, and penniless.

Sorry Adam, just doesn't work like that.

3.5 years x $1.5M/year = $4.5 MILLION DOLLARS!

I wish I were penniless like that! I'd give my B.S. back to BYU RIGHT NOW to be stuck with a problem like that.

Bottom line: If you choose an education over the NFL (provided you actually have a shot), then you truly didn't learn a thing in college.