1.13.2009

Rolle Makes the Right Choice

It's a very rare thing in sports these days for an athlete, amateur or professional, to make a well thought out decision that positively impacts their future.

We're far too used to the athletes we follow every day making bad decisions, like this one.

Or this one.

I'll stop now. No need to waste more time on examples, plus you're all probably still trying to figure out Shaq's lyrics.

Either way, it's refreshing to come across someone like Myron Rolle.

Back in November, we all followed along as Myron Rolle raced down to Alabama for his final interview for the Rhodes Scholarship, then hitched a ride up to College Park to participate in the 2nd half of the Florida State/Maryland game.

On the way to the game, he found out that he was awarded the one-year full ride to Oxford to study Medical Anthropology. At the same time, his outstanding senior season left him as a surefire first day pick in this year's NFL Draft.

There's the rub. Take the immediate millions of the NFL this year? Or take on a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be one of a select few that can carry the title of Rhodes Scholar?

He made his decision today. And he made the right choice in deffering the NFL for a year.

Let's be real. Either way, Myron Rolle is going to be a prominent and rich man at some point in his life. He's definitely got a future as a standout DB in the NFL, and then after that, he's going to be a brain surgeon.

Rolle is putting off immediate fame to advance himself and become a member of one of the most exclusive clubs in education, and he should be certainly praised for it. But if you do, bring a dictionary. Something tells me his vocabulary might be just a bit over all of our heads.

Rolle Passes Up Draft for Oxford (USA Today)

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