While I have never played football, I have been close to football since I was about 5 years old when my older brother started playing Pop Warner here in Jacksonville. Since that time, I was expected to be his stat girl, remember every play, tackle, interception, sack, he ever recorded from then until his last time playing at The Florida State University starting in Fall '86 until the final bowl game in Miami against Penn State in 1990. Our mother raised us and our little brother on her own so when Corian went to FSU, she had to budget money for haircuts, dry cleaning of his travel clothes, replacing brand new clothes because he kept getting bigger and bigger and it was nearly impossible to keep up with the girth of his neck in buying dress shirts. (Bowden required business dress attire for the travel team). All of this to say, the fact that these student athletes can have a NIL is long over due. And there should be additional compensation because their mind, body, and SOULS are damaged when LAF begins (Life After Football). To those against it, you probably have never interacted personally with a student athlete to understand, the less glamourous side of it.
I volunteered and traveled with my alma mater the 3 years that Coach W. Simmons was at PVAMU. As much as I love football, grew up on it, had family members to play college and pro along with a cousin on the Fab 5, I learned so much more up close from the sidelines and attending 99% of the practices in those 3 years than i had in my lifetime. I've long believed that players should be paid but being on the sidelines validated that belief.
Its always difficult for me to keep my hands away from the keyboard when i see posts that insist that its a free education. From sun up to night, I watched their daily lives revolve around practice, class, study hall, team meetings, position meetings, S&C, rehab, and personal lives ... some with families... off the field and don't experience the average college student life.
Along the way, they deal with the "fans" in the stands who don't show up or when they do %$*$%^##.... and forget that these student athletes will one day be alumni that we hope will support their alma mater.
I'm glad to see NIL evolve but its up to US to create NIL opportunities for OUR HBCU student athletes.... and across ALL sports.
While I have never played football, I have been close to football since I was about 5 years old when my older brother started playing Pop Warner here in Jacksonville. Since that time, I was expected to be his stat girl, remember every play, tackle, interception, sack, he ever recorded from then until his last time playing at The Florida State University starting in Fall '86 until the final bowl game in Miami against Penn State in 1990. Our mother raised us and our little brother on her own so when Corian went to FSU, she had to budget money for haircuts, dry cleaning of his travel clothes, replacing brand new clothes because he kept getting bigger and bigger and it was nearly impossible to keep up with the girth of his neck in buying dress shirts. (Bowden required business dress attire for the travel team). All of this to say, the fact that these student athletes can have a NIL is long over due. And there should be additional compensation because their mind, body, and SOULS are damaged when LAF begins (Life After Football). To those against it, you probably have never interacted personally with a student athlete to understand, the less glamourous side of it.
I volunteered and traveled with my alma mater the 3 years that Coach W. Simmons was at PVAMU. As much as I love football, grew up on it, had family members to play college and pro along with a cousin on the Fab 5, I learned so much more up close from the sidelines and attending 99% of the practices in those 3 years than i had in my lifetime. I've long believed that players should be paid but being on the sidelines validated that belief.
Its always difficult for me to keep my hands away from the keyboard when i see posts that insist that its a free education. From sun up to night, I watched their daily lives revolve around practice, class, study hall, team meetings, position meetings, S&C, rehab, and personal lives ... some with families... off the field and don't experience the average college student life.
Along the way, they deal with the "fans" in the stands who don't show up or when they do %$*$%^##.... and forget that these student athletes will one day be alumni that we hope will support their alma mater.
I'm glad to see NIL evolve but its up to US to create NIL opportunities for OUR HBCU student athletes.... and across ALL sports.
Well-said, Nupe!
Agree!!!!!!!👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👍🏽