Star Athletes Tackling School First

In a sports world gone seemingly mad with thugs and drugs, it's nice to see a couple of fuzzy football stories come across the desk every now and again. Let's start with Tim Tebow, the one-time Heisman Trophy winner and quarterback of the two-time national champion Florida Gators. Fresh off his BCS Championship victory last week, Tebow announced he'd opt out of the NFL draft before finishing school.

No doubt Tebow's got football on his brain, but that's OK with us. It's nice to see a stud athlete recognize his potential as a role model, forego the riches of professional ball for a year, and finish school before going pro. Either that or Tebow looked at what happened with the last few top-rank quarterback draft picks and decided that nothing could be better than being — and staying — at the top of his game. To think that he could win another Heisman and lead the Gators to a third national championship sort of blows the mind.

Next, and perhaps even better, is the story of Myron Rolle, the star safety of the Florida State Seminoles and as fine a student there is. Rolle has also decided against the upcoming NFL draft so he can go to Oxford for a year as a Rhodes scholar. Under the prestigious program, Rolle will seek his master's degree in medical anthropology. He says he'll enter the 2010 draft but also has his designs set on opening a medical clinic for needy kids in the Bahamas. No word yet on how Rolle will train for the NFL while in England, but we're sure he can probably find a few rugby players to butt heads with if he ever feels the urge.

Congrats to Tebow, Rolle, and all the other fine scholar-athletes out there. Touchdown!