The Enid News and Eagle, Enid, OK

Sports

September 18, 2005

Peterson should take advantage of education

By Bruce Campbell Commentary



Let's hope Adrian Peterson attacks his schoolwork as well as he does opposing defenses as the star running back for the Oklahoma Sooners.

Peterson sat out practice Monday and Tuesday as punishment for missing too many classes. Sooner coach Bob Stoops said one more missed class and Peterson will sit out a game.

This is not to condemn Peterson. This writer missed a couple of classes while attending OU. There were some Sooner players when I was there who would have made news for attending a class.

Peterson will make enough money from pro football he will have lifetime security. Most likely he will leave OU after his junior season. One can understand if he thinks he has it made without school.

But he's an argument for star athletes taking their education more seriously than the average athlete. He should have some business sense so in 10 or 15 years we won't be writing how he's broke from bad investments or having a corrupt business manager and he's not qualified to do anything but play football.

He will make a lot of money. I just hope he will know how to make it work for him.

The three superstars from my time at OU -- Lee Roy Selmon, Dewey Selmon and Joe Washington -- got their degrees and have been successful outside of football.

Pro football salaries aren't guaranteed. One knee injury can end a career.

Athletes should take advantage of the free education and what it can do for them. They never want to be in the position where they will need football more than football needs them.



Campbell is an Enid News -- Eagle sports writer.



Text Only
Sports
Featured Ads
AP Video
California's Foie Gras Ban About to Begin 6-Year-Old Going to National Spelling Bee Video Essay: Funky Winkerbean Comic Turns 40 On Thailand Trip, Suu Kyi Visits Migrants Raw Video: Pink Diamond Auctioned for $17.4M Hurricane Andrew Remembered, 20 Years Later Sister Says She Reported Brother in Patz Killing Patz Suspect's Sister: I Went to Police in 1980s Diplomatic Expulsions Follow Fresh Syria Report 15 Dead in Northern Italy's 5.8-magnitude Quake Angry Birds Spreading Their Wings Witness Describes Fla. Face-chewing Attack Man Falls Off Crane, Dies After Police Standoff Russia Condemns Ally Syria Over Massacre of 108 Dairy Farm Uses Chiropractor to Help Cows Unexpected Smog in Pristine National Parks Air Canada Plane Makes Emergency Landing New Ticks Spread Across Southeast, Diseases Rise Bring Your Own Tech Programs Charge Up Students Pope's Butler Vows to Help Vatican Investigation
NDN Video
Couple doesn’t let tropical storm ruin their big day Tori Bares Baby Bump in Monokini Even Fla. Police Shocked by Face-Mauling Attack Letterman on Family Life Post-Scandal Evans: Serena in shock Pregnant Reese Wears LBD Volcano covers Colombian cities in ash Meet the Crew and Good Ship 'Prometheus' Los Angeles Bar Bans Bachelorettes Hamster Plays Dead Beyonce Shows Off 60 Pound Weight Loss at Concert Drunk Women Breaking Into Houses: A New Trend? LeAnn Rimes Rocks Short Shorts Raw Video: Cop Shoots Man Eating Another's Face Gordon Ramsay Carried Off Field Man Dies Getting Lap Dance Kim Kardashian Claims Items Stolen from Her Luggage Bear cools off in Calif. family's pool Ep. 3: Chopped Desserts Air Force dad surprises family at baseball game
Seasonal Content
House Ads