Notre Dame Football: Brian Kelly Right to Discipline Stephon Tuitt

Well, this was refreshing. Brian Kelly's disciplinary actions on Stephon Tuitt was just what my jaded college football mind needed. 

A couple weeks ago, Notre Dame traveled to Purdue to take on the Boilermakers. The trip is what many little Notre Dame fans dream of when they are children. A chance to travel with the storied program would be a marvelous adventure for even the most cynical athlete. 

Far too often, we find that college students take the life at university for granted. Classes are skipped, and assignments are delivered with nonchalance. 

Too often, we see programs relent to the student rather than the other way around. Things are different at Notre Dame, just as they have always been. 

The university could easily succumb to an athletic approach as others have, but then it wouldn't be life in South Bend would it?

Freshman defender Stephon Tuitt missed a Friday morning calculus class that day before the Purdue game. That infraction would have been received with a warning by other programs. Kelly instead crossed him off the travel list to the game. 

That left Tuitt to re-evaluate why he was at Notre Dame, a meditation thousands of student athletes could use in the modern state of lackadaisical disciplinary actions. 

ESPN reports on the renewed sense of purpose. The following week, Tuitt made amends with players and coaches, as well as himself. He stated in plain words what his purpose was at Notre Dame. 

The fact that Tuitt's mother became involved only helped get his head on straight. 

"

I did come up here for two reasons: to get a degree and play football at the same time, and [the staff] promised her that. She was gonna be involved in most of my success or some of the mistakes that I make here at college as a college student. So she was involved and she helped me get my head back on straight and stay focused on what my goals are: getting a degree and playing football.

"

Notre Dame may not be the collegiate power they once were in the realm of football. But they have control of at least one thing, and that's how they conduct themselves. 

To think that this lesson was learned from missing one single class. Other programs look the other way when athletes are given money, skip classes and receive gifts. 

Life is different at South Bend. It's just a shame that it is.