Iowa = A "nerd" school for football-dudes?

[homerHAWKeye777]

Thanks to a link by grandmahawk ....

Big Ten Conference Official Athletic Site

Of ALL the Football players who are Academic All-Big10 ... the ONLY guys who are explicitly majors DIRECTLY out of math/comp-sci departments are Iowa players!

Not Northwestern, not Michigan, but Iowa!!!

Furthermore, NOT ONE guy listed is a physics major. And, our very own Marcus Coker could eventually add himself to that list ... seeing that he's an Astrophysics major at Iowa!

Anyhow, props to Ferentz and Iowa football for encouraging the players to academically pursue whatever the heck they want to ... regardless of the "perceived" difficulty of the field.

For those who are unaware ... many folks out of "the league" often joke about the letters in "NFL" actually standing for "Not For Long." It would seem that Ferentz and Co appreciate that fact ... and they place the long-term needs and priorities of their student athletes as being of HUGE importance.

For all the Iowa fans who are seething about how disappointing the season was on the field ... just remember that the exploits of Iowa players off the field are also important. In particular, the team has been keeping their noses relatively clean AND clearly we've been having guys taking care of business in the class-room too!

Anyhow let this also serve as a special "shout-out" to Nolan MacMillan, Steve Bigach, and Jack Swanson. Also, should Marcus Coker take care of business (since I'm a physicist, and I play favorites) ... I'm hoping that I can eventually end up giving him a shout-out too.

 

[edr247]

Marcus Coker is an astrophysics guy?!

Anyway, I usually don't put too much weight on exactly what major college athletes have, considering the heavy work load involved with athletics at the college level. Usually the good football players expected to play at the next level have "easy" majors, while guys with "hard(er)" majors usually aren't the ones you expect to be drafted and continue on at the next level. But occasionally, you'll see great players with good futures who are engineering majors, or hard science majors or something, and you're like "WOW".

By the way, I may be mistaken, but aren't all of our seniors graduating this year?

 

[smoot27]

Intergrative physiology is a tough major to tackle with the responsibilities required by football. Also, props to Dan Murray for working on his MBA.

 

[HawkPhreek]

I think its great that Iowa pushes the kids in the classroom, but if Iowa had one loss this thread about look what Iowa coaches do well wouldn't have been started. Classroom don't make up for losses.

 

[smoot27]

I think its great that Iowa pushes the kids in the classroom, but if Iowa had one loss this thread about look what Iowa coaches do well wouldn't have been started. Classroom don't make up for losses.

As a fan, I would prefer a team of basket-weaving majors winning 10+ games a year over a bunch of Rhoads scholars who can buy a win, but it's ideal if you can acheive both.

 

[homerHAWKeye777]

Bumpity-bump-bump

Take notice of the academic prowess of Iowa football players!

 

[LutherHawk]

Marcus Coker is an astrophysics guy?!

Anyway, I usually don't put too much weight on exactly what major college athletes have, considering the heavy work load involved with athletics at the college level. Usually the good football players expected to play at the next level have "easy" majors, while guys with "hard(er)" majors usually aren't the ones you expect to be drafted and continue on at the next level. But occasionally, you'll see great players with good futures who are engineering majors, or hard science majors or something, and you're like "WOW".

By the way, I may be mistaken, but aren't all of our seniors graduating this year?

I am really, really tired of hearing about how much of a 'heavy work load' college football players have. Give me a break!
They are limited by the NCAA as to how many hours a week they can practice (20hrs) and they have access to tutors, program academic advisors, and have their meals covered for them.
I know guys who played at Div III level, practiced the 20 hours a week, had double majors, and a part-time job!
Stop buying the hype about how 'bad' these athletes have it. Entitled a bit yes, but they are not being asked to do more or have greater challenges than other (average) students take on each and every day.

 

[homerHAWKeye777]

I am really, really tired of hearing about how much of a 'heavy work load' college football players have. Give me a break!
They are limited by the NCAA as to how many hours a week they can practice (20hrs) and they have access to tutors, program academic advisors, and have their meals covered for them.
I know guys who played at Div III level, practiced the 20 hours a week, had double majors, and a part-time job!
Stop buying the hype about how 'bad' these athletes have it. Entitled a bit yes, but they are not being asked to do more or have greater challenges than other (average) students take on each and every day.

Doesn't the 20 hours include team meetings? It definitely DOES NOT count film study! I'm willing to bet that it doesn't count extra work in the weight room.

When you break it all down ... football players who succeed are putting as much time into football as they'd put into a full time job!

And, they're students on top of it!

I've know folks in club sports who were effectively managing the load of nearly 2 full time jobs.

I don't feel sorry for those individuals ... it's their choice to do things that way. However, we can at least recognize that what they're doing is potentially challenging (at least if they're in a challenging academic major).

 

[hawkinaclownhouse]

I am really, really tired of hearing about how much of a 'heavy work load' college football players have. Give me a break!
They are limited by the NCAA as to how many hours a week they can practice (20hrs) and they have access to tutors, program academic advisors, and have their meals covered for them.
I know guys who played at Div III level, practiced the 20 hours a week, had double majors, and a part-time job!
Stop buying the hype about how 'bad' these athletes have it. Entitled a bit yes, but they are not being asked to do more or have greater challenges than other (average) students take on each and every day.

They have 20 hours of direct coaching contact. The total amount of time they spend in practice preparation, time spent in the training room, film study, etc. do not count. The actual hours spent on a sport during the season is actually closer to 40-50 hours per week at the Division I level. The actual time spent "on your own" increases incrementally with each division you go up from DIII to DII to DIA to DI.

And if you are injured the missed class time and time spent is even higher.

 

[NewMexHawk]

So it cuts into their free time? Most students don't have time or money to do much of anything except work, study, and go to class. And many students put in 40+ hours a week studying, going to labs, and going to classes, plus working 20 hours a week or more and STILL trying to pay for school.

Hard for me to feel sorry for athletes who have a full ride, private tutors, a private place to study, unequalled resources and get their room and board payed for. These guys leave college with NO debt whatsoever (and many with no degree or a degree not worth the paper it is written on).

I would say most regular students have it MUCH MUCH more difficult than athletes and many/most leave college with degrees and a large debt to pay back.

So I hardly feel sorry for athletes.

 

[hawkinaclownhouse]

So it cuts into their free time? Most students don't have time or money to do much of anything except work, study, and go to class. And many students put in 40+ hours a week studying, going to labs, and going to classes, plus working 20 hours a week or more and STILL trying to pay for school.

Hard for me to feel sorry for athletes who have a full ride, private tutors, a private place to study, unequalled resources and get their room and board payed for. These guys leave college with NO debt whatsoever (and many with no degree or a degree not worth the paper it is written on).

I would say most regular students have it MUCH MUCH more difficult than athletes and many/most leave college with degrees and a large debt to pay back.

So I hardly feel sorry for athletes.

I guess I don't follow your logic. Athletes have the same 40+ hours a week studying, going to labs, going to class that other students have. And then work 40-50 hours at their "job" which the sport they are competing in. So their commitment is 20-30 more per week than your part time job scenario.

As for no debt -- That is true for basketball and football -- but all other sports the athletes only get partial scholarships so they come out of college with debt like most other students or their parents have to pay the difference.

My daughter thought about playing D1 soccer in college, but when we analyzed the time commitment to the money typically offered. Even if she got a 50% ride she would have been "paid" less than $7/hour and had to miss at least 10% of the school days due to travel. She was far better off financially and from an ability to succeed in college by choosing not to play.

 

[Knight78]

I am really, really tired of hearing about how much of a 'heavy work load' college football players have. Give me a break!
They are limited by the NCAA as to how many hours a week they can practice (20hrs) and they have access to tutors, program academic advisors, and have their meals covered for them.
I know guys who played at Div III level, practiced the 20 hours a week, had double majors, and a part-time job!
Stop buying the hype about how 'bad' these athletes have it. Entitled a bit yes, but they are not being asked to do more or have greater challenges than other (average) students take on each and every day.

Well said. LutherHawk! (See Knights and Norse CAN agree on some things!) I didn't double major, but I did practice the 20 hrs per week during basketball and had a mathematics major and minors in biology and phys ed. Of course, we didn't get the tutors or the program advisors and had to show up to meals on time (or go hungry).

 

[theantiAIRBHG]

Well said. LutherHawk! (See Knights and Norse CAN agree on some things!) I didn't double major, but I did practice the 20 hrs per week during basketball and had a mathematics major and minors in biology and phys ed. Of course, we didn't get the tutors or the program advisors and had to show up to meals on time (or go hungry).

Except for 'Naked Soccer'.. us 'Burgers don't get that at all!!