Being a student-athlete at Virginia Tech is no easy task. As a member of the football team, you barely scratch the surface of what it is like to be a college football player.
First off, the NCAA only allows each Division 1-A team 85 scholarships for players on the roster. At the start of the fall season, there will be 126 players on the roster, meaning 41 players must pay their own way. Those on scholarship do get financial aid, but at a price.
Sit on the hill next to Cassell Coliseum and watch one of our spring practices. Better yet, wake up at 6 a.m. and watch one of our agility workouts; you can hold one of the puke buckets.
You say that all we have to do is show up and turn in homework that we "did ourselves." Yes, some players on the team would not have been accepted to Virginia Tech had it not been for their athletic abilities -- myself included. I am proud to say I have earned every grade I have received and after earning my undergraduate degree in three years, will be pursuing a master's degree to finish out my eligibility.
The academic advisement we receive is no different than what anyone else receives from the academic advisers within the many departments here. They aid us in scheduling courses, making sure they fit around our demanding practice schedule.
Student-athletes have their own academic advisers because they are available at times in which regular academic advisers are usually not and ensure that we are putting our best effort into our classes.
The tutors who we have are regular Tech students. Tutoring is available to all students at Tech; you just have to know where to look for it. The time management skills we have to master, or risk not being eligible, makes the life of a student-athlete challenging.
We must balance 15 hours of coursework, 8 to 10 hours of practice, 2 to 4 hours of working out and 6 hours of meetings each week just for starters.
You talk of discipline problems with football players, but Coach Beamer has strict rules in place to make sure that his players attend classes and tutoring sessions and act respectfully to represent our school. Sometimes extreme measures are put into place; our coach wants us to represent Tech in a positive manner, and takes care of matters in the best interest of our institution.
You also talk of a lack of class on the team's part. On a team that has three Eagle Scouts, a Freemason and many members heavily involved with religious groups on campus, I find it hard to even begin to talk about a lack of class.
When you want to "knock" the goings-on of our athletic programs, make sure you get the facts straight. If there is a problem, I guarantee you that our coaches will take care of it swiftly. Columns like "There must be accountability in college football programs" (CT, March 28) are based on weak information and cast a dark shadow on student-athletes nationwide.
Eric Davis
senior, business management