The Student Athlete: Myron Rolle

Perhaps you have heard of Myron Rolle. He is the FSU Seminole safety that has everyone wondering: "What's up?" The following are portions of an article by Stewart Mandell at SI.com.

When 6-2 Florida State visits 6-2 Maryland on Nov. 22, there's a decent chance the game could decide the ACC's Atlantic Division. Unfortunately for the 'Noles, they may be without one of their top defensive players.

Last summer, I wrote a feature about Florida State safety Myron Rolle, an accomplished student-athlete who was applying for the Rhodes Scholarship, the most prestigious academic honor an American undergraduate can receive. Each year, the Rhodes Trust affords 32 students from across the country the opportunity to study at England's Oxford University. It is believed that no major-level football player has won the award in more than a decade.

There's only one downside to his achievement. In the final step of what has already been an extensive application process, Rolle must appear in Birmingham, Ala., to interview before the Rhodes selection committee. Both the interview and subsequent announcement of the winners will take place on Nov. 22 -- the day of the Maryland game.

On Wednesday, however, Rolle told me: "I'm definitely going to Birmingham.

Most refreshing of all: His coaches agree.

"We couldn't be more proud of this happening for one of our players," FSU coach Bobby Bowden said Wednesday. "It's a once-in-a-lifetime chance and you wouldn't dare deny him that. I just hope he wins it."

Rolle, the youngest of five brothers from Galloway, N.J., and the son of two academic-minded Bahamian immigrants, has had his sights set on a career in medicine since middle school.

Again, this is a football player we're talking about.

"I always talked about being a Rhodes Scholar, but it was just so distant at the time. I didn't think of the magnitude of the award," said Rolle. "Now that it's possibly three weeks away, it has hit me."

Upon first hearing the news Monday, FSU athletic director Randy Spetman immediately began looking into the logistics of whether Rolle could possibly attend both the interview and the game.

"We'll make every effort possible to get him there," Bowden said. "Maybe he'll get back to play some."

Rollie knows what he wants. The bar is set high, and this is a lesson for us all.

Three Critical Beliefs

• “High expectations are the key to everything.” Sam Walton
• "Whether you believe you can, or you can't, you are right!" Henry Ford
• “Genius is one percent inspiration, ninety-nine percent perspiration." Thomas Edison

Here we have three famous quotes. The first tells us to hold ourselves and others to high expectations. The second says that we need to be confident in our abilities. The third tells us to apply these abilities. It is the combination of these ideas that produce results. A successful school system is no exception.
High exceptions set the direction and the level of success. For example, we are constantly working to improve student academic achievement. We use a variety of measures to gauge success; The Iowa Tests of Basic Skills, The Iowa Tests of Educational Development, The ACT, and several others. We will not be satisfied till each student is functioning at his / her potential. As part of the equation, each parent must emphasize the importance of learning for continuous improvement. Each student, and the school as a whole, should be held to that standard. High expectations produce results.
Second, we must provide each learner with the proper ideas, skills, and environment. A “can do” attitude is critical. When we apply the pressure of high expectations, we must provide the support necessary to meet that expectation.
You can help by ...
• establishing a study time each night.
• turning off TV and video games during that time.
• talking at home about school.
• monitoring grades and attendance.
• celebrating the successes.
• calling school if efforts are not getting results.
These simple practices generally improve grades, and improved grades should improve attitude!
Third, success comes at a price, hard work. Iowan’s are known for their willingness to tackle difficult tasks. The recent Olympics is an example. Another example is Norman Borlaug, a Cresco native. This Nobel Laureate is known around the globe for his tireless efforts to provide food to the masses. He literally improved the lives of millions. It took high expectations, knowledge and skills, commitment, and years of hard work.
It just makes sense. As a school, community, state, and nation we must hold ourselves to high expectations. We must acquire the skills necessary to accomplish our goals. We must believe in ourselves. Then we must work tirelessly. Each one of us is an important piece of this process.