[GOREDDEVILS]

The days of the "dumb jock" are pretty much over in my opinion (at least at successful schools). Football is a mental game almost as much so as a physical one. A smart player can beat a superior athlete by good technique(ability to learn) and heart. I firmly believe that when all is said and done, a young man that is willing to work hard in one facet in life(academics) will be more than adequate in all others(athletics). Can you correlate academic team trophies with football success? Not exactly. The one's competing on academic teams probably aren't the same young men on a football field, I can almost guarantee in most cases. But a school that emphasizes hard work in the classroom and on the field are going to be successful in the long run.

I think Russell's and other schools with top cats scores speak for themselves and I was just making a point with the academic team that there are some smart students there and that it was one of the top schools in the state for academics. I know Russell emphasizes hard work in the class room if you are below I think a c you don't play sports.