In order to be eligible to play it was necessary for him to keep up in his studies, a very difficult matter, for while he was not dumber than an ox, he was not any smarter.
That was how James Thurber described Bolenciecwcz, his quintessential dumb jock, in My Life and Hard Times. Though a caricature, Ohio State Tackle Bolenciecwcz was not entirely ludicrous. Sport and education, particularly higher education, have never been a common combination.
Until recently, that is. Many professional athletes today do not simply have college diplomas. They have master's degrees or doctorates as well, or are working toward them....