<p>Did they mean that if a good athlete with a high math score might get a leg up? Because as far as I can tell this is somewhat true. If a coach is interested in a player and feels that they are academically qualified, they will write a letter to admissions on behalf of the student. This could be a hook, but it's in no way a guarantee.
What I mean is that if someone is really good at a sport but has low test scores or grades, etc. a coach may choose a student that is pretty good with higher scores to write a letter for. Or at least I'm pretty sure that's true since they have you put your grades/scores and your athletic achievements on the recruitment form. And I know for a fact they write letters</p>