Trey DePriest, I Hope You Enjoyed Your Big Day!

I think it's so interesting the way things have changed over the years.  I can remember a time not too long ago when a great African-American or bi-racial athlete couldn't give a thought of playing football for the University of Alabama.  He would not consider leaving the confines of a wholesome, healthy environment in the North to play football in the Deep South.  It wasn't happening.  It was not lawfully possible.  The " Jim Crow" laws of "Old Dixie" ruled and you were not going to play football at a Division I school in the South.  Matter of fact, you couldn't play "tiddly winks" at a school south of the Mason Dixon line.  You couldn't attend a Vanderbilt, a Duke, a University of Georgia, a Tennessee, a North Carolina, or an Alabama.  You would not have that privilege.  You were deemed unworthy of a higher education at an all-white institution of higher learning.  In the 50's, 60's, and early 70's you saw the exact opposite of what is taking place today.  If a young black man in the South had a desire to play Division I college athletics he had to leave the South in order to pursue that goal.  Times have changed and progress has been made.  There were young men and women that paved the way for the Trey DePriests of this world.  I hope Trey recognizes the privilege bestowed on him.  I wish the Trey DePriests of this world well.  I hope he cherishes this opportunity.

Trey's announcement was quite a spectacle.  There was so much fanfare for a celebrated high school athlete out of Springfield, Ohio.  Don't you think it was a bit much though?  We give so much attention to these young prep phenoms and it goes to their heads.  We create these "media darlings" and give them so much attention and when they transform themselves into "media monsters" we wonder what happened.  We, the public, along with the media have created these "athletes of entitlement".  Then we wonder what went wrong.  Do you think Trey will become the next Dick Butkus or Lawrence Taylor?  Probably not.  His chances are very slim for that.  He probably won't be the next Cornelius Bennett.  But the funny thing is that in an age of electronic enlightenment we know all we need to know about Trey DePriest before he plays his first game in Tuscaloosa.  We know he's 6 foot 2 and weighs 230 lbs.  He runs a 40 in 4.79 seconds.  We know what he lifts and what he squats.  We know his favorite food.  All you need to do is look at his Facebook profile.  He's a kid and I wish him well.  Even if it is Alabama.  But the media circus surrounding these young men is ridiculous.  I'm tired of feeding their teenage egos.  As great as Butkus, Taylor, and Bennett proved to be I bet very few of us knew who they were before they played their first college game.  We saw what they did on the field and we looked up their name and number in the program or heard Curt Gowdy, Chris Schenkel, and Brent Musburger tell us who they were.  They won our admiration as they played the game.  Can you envision Jack Tatum in his high school auditorium teasing us with what cap he was picking up and putting on his head as he made his college choice?  These trivial theatrics simply perpetuate a real problem that now exists  in college athletics.  Athletes and their families can hold institutions hostage, a.k.a Reggie Bush.  "If I come to your school what will you do for me and my family?"  Maybe that whole incident at U.S.C. enticed Seantrell Henderson and his family to the Trojans.  "We can get paid!."  Mr. Henderson thought his son would play football and he'd produce music.  I guess things changed and they'll take that show to Miami.

We have gone from "Hero Worship" to "Zero Worship".  These high schoolers haven't played the first down of college football and we deify them and pay obeisance to them.  We have been on their "jocks" from "day one" when we figured out they had potential.  What are we doing?  They're not heros.  They're zeros (I mean no offense).  They haven't done anything yet.  Let's give them time to prove how important they are to a college program before we begin heaping praise and adulation on them.  That's exactly why so many athletes have an "attitude of entitlement".  Everybody owes them something because of who they are and what they do.  No one owes them anything.  They have been spoiled and catered to their whole athletic careers.  It's time for the fans to stop and think.  Quit feeding the "monster".  I don't want to be detrimental to a young man or woman and make them think they are bigger than life.  They aren't.  This is life and everyone is not bending over backwards for you.  That is the real world.

I wish Mr. DePriest well but I certainly question the decision he's made.  I'm probably biased but I can name linebackers from Ohio State like: Jim Houston, Stan White, Randy Gradishar, Chris Spielman, Pepper Johnson, etc. that had illustrious pro careers.  That list continues to grow.  Ohio State produces great linebackers.  I can only think of Cornelius Bennett from Alabama.  I'm sure 'Bama fans will educate me after they read this article but in any event:  Congratulations Mr. DePriest on your college choice.  I hope you can ride the back of that elephant to wherever you'd like to go.  I wish you well!  Yesterday was a big day for you and your family.  I hope you enjoyed it.