This is a great thread. I use myself as an example to my players all the time. When I am talking to them I use stories about my life as examples. Most of the time its "Dont make the same mistakes I made type of stories" and I coach and live my life as another example I want to teach them.
I was one of those guys. That guy that hated school. I was bored to death in school. My parents preached academics. They stressed them all the time. But I could have cared less. I did just enough to stay elgible so I could play baseball and football. If not for those sports in school I would not have made it out of HS. When the time came for recruitment I was offered by several football programs and a couple of baseball programs. None of which I could get into once the grades were checked. In order to continue to play football I went to a JUCO. I had no desire to go to college. NONE. But the only way I was going to be able to continue to play football and make it to the NFL was to go to college. So that is what I did.
Once there a funny thing happened. I realized that if I didnt do enough work to stay elgible I would not be able to continue to play football. So thats what I did. So I ended up getting a 2 year degree and I ended up playing football in college and I got a college experience. I came home had some decisions to make. Go to work or continue my education. I wanted to continue to play football but a season ending knee injury stopped all of that. And without the ability to play football I did not want to go back to school. So I took a job as a police officer.
I got two more degrees while on the force. I put my wife through Carolina working two full time jobs to pay for it. And never looked back. I am convinced if I had never went to college I would have never accomplished what I did. There are many kids who just love the game and dont love school. They are too young to understand the importance of it all. But if they stay in the game long enough they grow up and see the importance of it.
I am a tough guy. I have had to face some tough times. I am way tougher than most people I know. Why? Because most people have never had to do what a college athlete has to do at that age. They have no idea what it takes to battle. Our kids are getting something you can not put a price tag on. They are getting something that will serve them the rest of their lives. When your kids are out of school and looking for work and need a job. Have them call me. I will hire them in a minute. Why? Because if they can do what it takes to do what they are doing they have character , they are tough and they are exactly what I am looking for.
Going to college and working two full time jobs and putting a wife through college is what I did. And it was a piece of cake compared to playing football in college while trying to make the grades needed to stay in school. I admire every young man who plays this game at the college level. You have to love it. Special young men in my opinion.