Florida State Tutors Produce Rhoads Scholar

by Jordan Bowar on January 02, 2009

It might come as a shock that exactly one year after ¼ of the FloridaState football team was suspended from a bowl game for not meetingacademic standards that a player on the team became a Rhoads Scholar."I was really disappointed in the FSU faculty last year. My boys neededto concentrate on beating Georgia and the school was making them waistpractice time going to class. I tried to explain to their professorshow things worked in the 70's, but today's academia has no respect fortradition." Coach Bobby Bowden said in our interview. "That's when Icame up with the idea hiring better tutors." Coach Bowden spent a lotof time on the road last off-season not recruiting players, butconvincing professors from smaller colleges around the area to comework on his tutoring staff. "It was great, last year I was on academicprobation. After I started working with Coach Bowden's tutors I wasnominated for this thing called a Rhoads Scholarship." stated FSUSafety Myron Rolle. "I was able to take a load of 27 credits duringfootball season and I'm expecting to graduate in just 2 years. I didn'teven know I was in some of the classes I am getting A's in, but ourtutors always make sure my papers get turned in so I can concentrate onbringing a title back to State." Rolle isn't the only FSU player whohas seen improvement since working with the new staff. The total teamcumulative GPA went from 1.8 to 3.2 and 45 players are now on theDean's List. In fact, several players have changed their majors fromRecreational Studies and African-American History to Majors in the STEM(Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics) college. "Who knew Ihad a future in nuclear physics?" said 340 pound nose tackle D'VontreySamuels. "I owe it all to Coach Bowden and his new staff for proving tome that with the right kind of help school isn't that difficult."

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