Interesting but not surprising? Seems way different now for sure. Seems to be one the positives with sports now that most all kids have the academic side in order
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Thereâs not much to the NCAA academic requirements anymore. The SATs used to trip them up sometimes but they got rid of the minimum score requirement. Just gotta pass the college prep classes with a minimum GPA, 2.3 google says.
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As long as the NCAA maintains the âsatisfactory progress towards a degreeâ element in the rulebook, I think that that is all that matters. If folks recall, there was a time when coaching staffs would make sure players were enrolled in âgutâ classes as long as they had eligibility, and then when that was over, would then inform the player of the classes needed for a degree. And that would make it an impossibly difficult accomplishment. Who was the Washington DE who finished at some western college, but remained functionally illiterate? And, how many N C State BB players received degrees when Valvano was coaching? Let each school decide to whom they grant admission as long as they make sure they are progressing towards a degree.
When Tark and his staff were recruiting at UNLV in the 80âs & early 90âs, the question they had to answer was how are we going to get any HS kid they wanted to visit and NOT have his parents (especially Mom) join him? Can you imagine being an 18-22 year old celebrity in that town, when they were winning big?
Maybe thatâs why they took so many JUCOâs.
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That brought us one of the greatest lines of all time when Charles Shackleford let us know he can go right or left cause he was amphibious
RIP Shackleford
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I think the football guy was Dexter Manley? I may be making that up though. Also I believe he confronted it later and got better
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In fairness to Valvano, I knew many non-athlete students at NC State at that time. They werenât exactly lighting the academic world on fire, either.
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Virginia football in my day had a nuclear engineer on the dang team. Tom Burns
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Yep. Dexter was admitted to and stayed eligible to play football for Oklahoma State despite not knowing how to read.
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Maybe he was a math guy
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âHe actually played at VCU. I think he didnt qualify on academic side at UVaâ
Yes - he was a good guy and fun to play against, too, just didnât have the grades and/or scores.
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Similar stories if I recall correctly about Mamadi his last year or so at Blue Ridge, spending more time playing pick up with the UVA players than anything else, hence why his commitment surprised literally no one.
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Yep! It was he, and I believe youâre right about him addressing the issue!
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Thats the thing with sports and college. Is it right to accept a guy like that and keep him eligible and he becomes successful at the game and then gets better later? I would argue yes
If i remember correctly, Dexter did eventually learn to read and did a lot of good for a lot of people by sharing his story. He had to be pretty damn smart and resourceful to accomplish the things he did while being illiterate. I know Dexter battled some demons, but heâs always been a winner in my book (no pun intended).
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He lives in Aiken in the same neighborhood as my mom (or used to anyway). Met him at a downtown Aiken festival while wearing my UVA gear around the time Bronco was hired. Super nice guy. I knew the name but it took google to reveal the âAcademic Heismanâ award when I looked him up. My unearned academic elitism grew 3 sizes that day.
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So cool. Aesome dude that just happens to be smarter than everyone else!
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Unfortunately, there was a darker side to this. How many kids were used and thrown aside by that system? How many went off to college thinking they were going to get a degree, only to play for four years, and then leave with nothing. Dexter Manley was an exception. He is to be commended for his accomplishments, but his example doesnât excuse what happened to so many others.
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Aye theres the rub
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