No Truth To 'Dumb Jock' Stereotype, Study Finds

The phrase "dumb jocks" is officially bogus, at least according to a new study out of Washington State University.

According to the study, conducted by Vicki McCracken, Fran Hermanson and Diem Nguyen, and reported in the Associated Press, varsity athletes "were more than twice as likely as non-athletes to graduate within five or six years."

The study didn't solely focus on athletics. The researchers also found that socio-economic status is often a good indicator of academic success and that grade point average is far better at predicting accomplishment than SAT scores.

Florida State University football star and 2008 Rhodes scholar Myron Rolle is perhaps most emblematic of the academic student athlete. As a New York Times article from November of that year detailed, Rolle said he wanted to open a clinic for the underprivileged in the Bahamas. He currently plays for the Tennessee Titans.

What's your take on this study? Too good to be true? Weigh in below.

Comments

[AxelDC]

10:52 AM on 07/22/2010

The stereotype comes from high school, not college.

Athletes have to get good grades or lose their eligibility to play in college, which also means loss of their scholarships. Ordinary students have only their own personal motivation to get good grades.

[GraphicMatt]

10:02 AM on 07/22/2010

Myron Rolle is certainly the best example of a student athlete. Ironically (and I may be mistaken so please don't take my word as gospel) but the Florida law requiring college athletes to maintain higher academic standards is named after another FSU alumnus, good old Neon Deon Sanders.

[Cinnamonape]

05:17 AM on 07/22/2010

The stereotype of the "dumb jock" exists because those that consider their athletic careers, rather than their academic performance, paramount usually display that to their peers and professors. These athletes shoot for minimum levels of academic success ("What do I need to do just to get a "C"?"-- "Well if you "ace" the final you could still get a B."--"I'm too busy to do that."

BTW I was a two sport walk-on Varsity athlete at a Pac-8 (now Pac 10) school and am now teaching at a University in the Biological Sciences.

[Cinnamonape]

05:17 AM on 07/22/2010

Given the resources placed to make sure these athletes do graduate it's not surprising... scholarships (so they don't have to work to cover expenses and which discourages separation from the school), tutors, mandatory study halls, preferential registration, assistance with housing, etc.

As well most sports are not like football and basketball where corners are cut in recruitment and where the pressures to drop out and go Pro are imminent. Most volleyball, soccer, tennis, swimming, cross-country, track, crew, and gymnastics athletes likely qualified for admission outright. Some are average students, but many others are highly competitive academically as well. Mist of these students are so well integrated academically that neither their fellow students nor their instructors know they are athletes until they receive some "Grade Report" form.

But certain sports "use" these studies to conceal the fact that they are recruiting academically unqualified students, using nefarious means to keep them enrolled and passing courses (yes, I mean cheating). Each individual sport needs to be looked at carefully in such studies, otherwise the patterns of disparity are concealed.

[Turquoise66]

01:06 AM on 07/22/2010

"varsity athletes "were more than twice as likely as non-athletes to graduate within five or six years."
LIE! Most black athletes do NOT graduate.

[GraphicMatt]

09:54 AM on 07/22/2010

was there a study done on that one?

[drob20]

12:15 PM on 07/23/2010

Yes. http://diverseeducation.com/article/13624/

The annual report by The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport at the University of Central Florida found 45 teams graduated 70 percent or more of their White players, up from 33 teams last year. But only 20 teams graduated at least 70 percent of their Black players, the same as last year.

[drob20]

12:18 PM on 07/23/2010

Although that is more of a comparison between white/black athletes. I don't agree with "most black athletes don't graduate" because I believe I read their graduation rate is ~49%. Although black FEMALE athletes have a graduation rate of over 80%

[azatrox]

12:20 AM on 07/22/2010

In my experience as an instructor, athletes are typically not the top of the class, but they're no where near the bottom either. Some are down right impressive at how they manage their time for training and studying.

[scullens]

12:04 AM on 07/22/2010

I dont buy this study at all. The overwhelming majority of athletes go broke soon after retiring from sports. From high school the jocks (and I was one in that crowd) would get grades handed to them so we could play and wouldn't be flagged due to unsatisfactory grades. Just because one graduates doesn't mean they earned it.

[swimchick76]

05:02 PM on 07/22/2010

I don't know where you went to school, but as a high school athlete we were immediately placed on academic suspension if we received two "D"s or a single "F." If it was found that someone competed while ineligible, any competitions while they were ineligible were forfeit. As a high school coach, grade reports are issued to us every few weeks and tracked by the ADs as well as the coaches.

Additionally, not all collegiate athletes become professional athletes making millions. Most of us work hard to make a good life for ourselves and our families... and even try to pay it forward a little bit!

[chonathon]

10:37 PM on 07/21/2010

Most of the naysayers here immediately think of the revenue sports. Most college-athletes will never make money on their sport and take their academics seriously. Most of the academic advisors are specifically meant for the football and basketball players. The priority registration is simply to get required courses that are not during training times.

If you really have a problem with it, you might want to suggest to your university president and athletic director that you would like your university run like an institution of higher learning and not a corporation. And a poorly run corporation since most schools can't make money and the large majority of division 1 football teams lose millions of dollars every year.

Don't lump all student-athletes together. Not all of us are at the 5 year pro-training camp.

[Tmboy]

09:50 PM on 07/21/2010

graduating does not mean intelligent.

[MyNameIsJames]

10:54 PM on 07/21/2010

It does mean that you have been exercising your mind unlike many people who never go through the rigors of academics but feel that they are on par intellectually with those who do... How does that work.

Its like saying - I never work-out but I am just a proficient in physical fitness as someone who works out everyday. Its not true.

[Cribbychris]

12:28 AM on 07/22/2010

Good point, though there are some who graduate without needing exert their minds. Certain majors at my school come to mind, but I wouldn't want to offend anyone by naming them.

[raydemesa]

05:35 PM on 07/21/2010

who funded this study? duh.

[lecloche]

09:38 PM on 07/22/2010

No
Clue
At
All

[rezna]

05:12 PM on 07/21/2010

I'm pretty convinced that my teachers gave the jock kids better grades based purely on their demeanor in class. I chose to be pretty goth through high school and college. Although I was very intelligent, almost no teacher encouraged me or helped me. My demeanor was such that they didn't want to help me. Jocks are much easier to encourage. They learn early on how to "work hard, play hard". They have the studious demeanor in class, then party like crazy outside of class. I wish I had learned this sooner.

[swimchick76]

05:41 PM on 07/21/2010

Wow. Sour grapes much? I feel this is an example of one seeing only what one wishes to see.

As a student-athlete, I often wasn't encouraged either. On more than one occasion in fact, I was called on the carpet for cheating when in fact I had simply studied hard and performed exceedingly well on exams. Fortunately, all but one of the professors apologized when I was able to give an impromptu monologue relative to the subject matter. I trained upwards of 35 hours per week, graduated with a BS Biology (completing all but 3 credits of my degree in seven semesters), and really didn't have time to "party like crazy outside of class."

I would say it is far more accurate to characterize most collegiate student-athletes as having learned to apply their mental focus to academic as well as athletic pursuits.

[Chowdog76]

04:53 PM on 07/21/2010

Ok, explain to me then why is it when I watch college ball and they say their major, almost every single player mumbles out "Communications," or that the players in my theology class say "Run that by me one more time," after every sentence my prof says?

[Arrive2 net]

04:50 PM on 07/21/2010

Since athletes tend to get a more academic help, positive attention, and many get athletic scholarships, it stands to reason that they would have a higher probability of graduating on time. Recently there has been some evidence that exercise promotes brain development, so that may help them too. Being healthy and fit is most likely to help academic performance as well. The NCAA tracks graduation rates for colleges, (http://www.ncaa.org/wps/portal/ncaahome?WCM_GLOBAL_CONTEXT=/ncaa/ncaa/academics+and+athletes/education+and+research/academic+reform/grad+rate/2009/index-2009_fed_grad_rates.html) for Division I - III, so teams are pressured to keep graduation rates high anyway. I am not so sure that graduation rate alone is the best measure of "smartness", but it sure doesn't hurt any to graduate. Athletes have to have enough focus and self-discipline to get through all the temptations of high school, and make it to college.

Bernard Schuster
Arrive2.net

[Matt Herren]

04:27 PM on 07/21/2010

Maybe it should just be the "dumb College Student" stereotype.

[seustis]

04:15 PM on 07/21/2010

Ooo- I've studied this! And I was a college athlete. Definitely the kids get way more resources and help, which is why their graduation rate is often higher. They have to maintain a GPA in order to be allowed to compete. I would add a few points to consider, though:
- Revenue producing sports are basically pro athletes. Unless you have been through it, it is hard to imagine just how many hours those kids put in. Really.
- These kids, especially those in non-revenue sports, are mostly really hard workers. To have the dedication to sport at that level often indicates dedication to other things.
- There are also some theories that men and women operate differently in this sense, and that participating in athletics would be more positively correlated to better academic performance for women than for men. But that's the dork coming through in me...