<p>“Perhaps the USMA should change its motto from Duty, Honor, Country, to Evade, Avoid, NFL.”</p>
<p>Ouch</p>
<p>I posted this on the USNA forum with the same topic. Some of it relates directly to comments made by posters on that thread, but still pertinent to the same article:</p>
<p>I don’t personally agree with the alternative selection process. I do think some things need to be pointed out, however. </p>
<p>First,
While true that most West Point grads will most likely be deployed eventually to Iraq and Afganistan given current troop levels there, it is not true that most 2008 grads will be there by the end of the year. They have a bit of training (some more than others depending on their branch selection) to do still, between graduation and any eventual deployment.</p>
<p>Second,
It should be mentioned that the Naval and Air Force Academy football programs are generally going to always have a “leg up” on Army given the fact that a smaller percentage of their graduates will end up deployed (on the ground or otherwise) in the two “hot” areas mentioned above. Given the nature of their respective missions this is just a fact. That, and the obvious difference between the size of the KIA rosters of Army grads vs Navy and Air Force in Iraq/Afganistan is going to have some bearing on some (not all) prospective candidates to the academies. Whether it’s spoken about or not, some choices are going to be made with those factors in mind.</p>
<p>Third,
The comment above that somehow this “program” was “a pathetic attempt by the cadets to revive their embarassing football program” was way off the mark. First, the cadets didn’t come up with this little jewel. Second, “Embarassing” is a relative term in the world of Division 1 football—there is always someone way better than you are.</p>
<p>Fourth,
Division 1 football athletes at all of the academies deal with a myriad of issues and sentiments, both from the outside and from within their own Corps or Brigade. They deal with the resentment of “special treatment” on behalf of cadets or Mids who see them “get out of marching, be exempt from regular duties (from time to time), get special treatment, have modified fitness tests, etc etc etc.” Its happening at all the academies so get used to it–it’s not changing anytime soon.</p>
<p>Fifth,
My guess is, the number of cadets who opt for the alternative selection process is going to be pretty small, lets just say you’ll be able to count them on one hand. </p>
<p>Thomas Hauser stated in his “article”, “Perhaps the USMA should change its motto from “Duty, Honor, Country,” to “Evade, Avoid, NFL”----for that statement alone he is a jackass in my book.</p>
<p>Given that little tidbit I’ll leave you with another in case anyone feels Division 1 cadets at West Point are just looking for a way out, or as was posted above by someone, that in some way you feel “disappointed in the Army or West Point”:</p>
<p>West Point graduates who were lost as a result of the war on terror since 9-11 (some of them were football players):</p>
<p>Class of 1979: </p>
<p>Lieutenant Colonel (Ret.)William E. Bowers USMA 1979 KIA September 10, 2004</p>
<p>Class of 1981: </p>
<p>Colonel James W. Harrison, Jr., U.S. Army USMA 1981 KIA May 06, 2007 </p>
<p>Class of 1982: </p>
<p>Lieutenant Colonel Dominic R. Baragona, U.S. Army USMA 1982 KIA May 19, 2003</p>
<p>Colonel Brian D. Allgood , U.S. Army USMA 1982 KIA Jan 20, 2007</p>
<p>Class of 1983: </p>
<p>Colonel Ted Westhusing, U.S. Army USMA 1983 KIA June 05, 2005</p>
<p>Class of 1985: </p>
<p>Lieutenant Colonel Michael J. McMahon , U.S. Army USMA 1985 KIA November 27, 2004</p>
<p>Colonel Jon M. Lockey, U.S. Army USMA 1985 KIA July 06, 2007</p>
<p>Class of 1986: </p>
<p>Mr. Douglas B. Gurian USMA 1986 KIA September 11, 2001</p>
<p>Class of 1989: </p>
<p>Lieutenant Colonel Paul J. Finken , U.S. Army USMA 1989 KIA November 02, 2006</p>
<p>Class of 1990: </p>
<p>Major Curtis D. Feistner , U.S. Army USMA 1990 KIA February 21, 2002</p>
<p>Class of 1991: </p>
<p>Major William F. Hecker III , U.S. Army USMA 1991 KIA January 05, 2006</p>
<p>Class of 1992: </p>
<p>Major Guy Barattieri , U.S. Army USMA 1992 KIA October 04, 2006</p>
<p>Class of 1993: </p>
<p>Major Stephen C. Reich , U.S. Army USMA 1993 KIA June 28, 2005</p>
<p>Class of 1994: </p>
<p>Captain Bartt D. Owens, U.S. Army USMA 1994 KIA February 21, 2002</p>
<p>Class of 1995: </p>
<p>Captain James F. Adamouski, U.S. Army USMA 1995 KIA April 02, 2003 </p>
<p>Captain John F. Kurth , U.S. Army USMA 1995 KIA March 13, 2004</p>
<p>Class of 1996: </p>
<p>Captain Joshua T. Byers, U.S. Army USMA 1996 KIA July 23, 2003</p>
<p>Class of 1997: </p>
<p>Captain Eric T. Paliwoda , U.S. Army USMA 1997 KIA January 02, 2004</p>
<p>Captain Matthew J. August , U.S. Army USMA 1997 KIA January 26, 2004</p>
<p>Captain Philip T. Esposito , U.S. Army USMA 1997 KIA June 08, 2005</p>
<p>Captain Michael J. MacKinnon , U.S. Army USMA 1997 KIA October 27, 2005</p>
<p>Captain Mark C. Paine , U.S. Army USMA 1997 KIA October 15, 2006</p>
<p>Captain Ian P. Weikel , U.S. Army USMA 1997 KIA April 18, 2006</p>
<p>Class of 1998: </p>
<p>Captain Dennis L. Pintor , U.S. Army USMA 1998 KIA October 12, 2004</p>
<p>Captain Christopher B. Johnson, U.S. Army USMA 1998 KIA October 16, 2004</p>
<p>Captain Stephen W. Frank , U.S. Army USMA 1998 KIA April 29, 2005 </p>
<p>Captain Ralph J. Harting III, U.S. Army USMA 1998 KIA April 29, 2005</p>
<p>Class of 1999: </p>
<p>Captain Benedict J. Smith , U.S. Army USMA 1999 KIA November 07, 2003</p>
<p>Captain Douglas A. Dicenzo , U.S. Army USMA 1999 KIA May 25, 2006</p>
<p>Captain Brian S. Freeman , U.S. Army USMA 1999 KIA January 20, 2007</p>
<p>Captain David A. Boris , U.S. Army USMA 1999 KIA November 12, 2007</p>
<p>Captain Corry P Tyler , U.S. Army USMA 1999 KIA August 22, 2007</p>
<p>Class of 2000: </p>
<p>First Lieutenant Leif E. Nott , U.S. Army USMA 2000 KIA July 30, 2003</p>
<p>Captain Benjamin D. Tiffner , U.S. Army USMA 2000 KIA November 7, 2007</p>
<p>Class of 2001: </p>
<p>First Lieutenant David R. Bernstein , U.S. Army USMA 2001 KIA October 18, 2003</p>
<p>Captain Andrew R. Houghton , U.S. Army USMA 2001 KIA August 09, 2004</p>
<p>Captain Joe F. Lusk II, U.S. Army USMA 2001 KIA January 21, 2005</p>
<p>Class of 2002: </p>
<p>First Lieutenant Todd Bryant , U.S. Army USMA 2002 KIA Oct. 31, 2003</p>
<p>First Lieutenant Michael R. Adams , U.S. Army USMA 2002 KIA March 16, 2004</p>
<p>Captain James M. Gurbisz , U.S. Army USMA 2002 KIA November 04, 2005</p>
<p>First Lieutenant Kevin J. Smith , U.S. Army USMA 2002 KIA December 08, 2005</p>
<p>Captain Timothy J. Moshier , U.S. Army USMA 2002 KIA April 01, 2006</p>
<p>Capt. Drew N. Jensen , U.S. Army USMA 2002 KIA September 7, 2007</p>
<p>Captain Scott N. Shimp , U.S. Army USMA 2002 KIA September 11, 2007</p>
<p>Capt. Torre R. Mallard , U.S. Army USMA 2002 KIA March 10, 2008</p>
<p>Class of 2003: </p>
<p>Second Lieutenant Leonard M. Cowherd , U.S. Army USMA 2003 KIA May 16, 2004</p>
<p>First Lieutenant Laura M. Walker, U.S. Army USMA 2003 KIA August 18, 2005</p>
<p>First Lieutenant Derek S. Hines , U.S. Army USMA 2003 KIA September 01, 2005</p>
<p>Captain Rhett W. Schiller , U.S. Army USMA 2003 KIA November 16, 2006</p>
<p>Class of 2004:</p>
<p>First Lieutenant Dennis W. Zilinski , U.S. Army USMA 2004 KIA November 19, 2005</p>
<p>First Lieutenant Benjamin T. Britt, U.S. Army USMA 2004 KIA December 22, 2005</p>
<p>First Lieutenant Garrison C. Avery , U.S. Army USMA 2004 KIA February 01, 2006</p>
<p>First Lieutenant Robert A. Seidel III , U.S. Army USMA 2004 KIA May 18, 2006</p>
<p>First Lieutenant Amos “Camden” R. Bock, U.S. Army USMA 2004 KIA October 23, 2006</p>
<p>Captain Michael A. Cerrone , U.S. Army USMA 2004 KIA November 12, 2006</p>
<p>Captain John R. Dennison , U.S. Army USMA 2004 KIA November 15, 2006</p>
<p>Captain David M. Fraser , U.S. Army USMA 2004 KIA November 26, 2006</p>
<p>Captain Adam P. Snyder , U.S. Army USMA 2004 KIA December 5, 2007</p>
<p>Class of 2005: </p>
<p>Second Lieutenant Emily J. T. Perez , U.S. Army USMA 2005 September 12, 2006</p>
<p>First Lieutenant Jacob N. Fritz , U.S. Army USMA 2005 KIA January 20, 2007</p>
<p>First Lieutenant Phillip I. Neel , US Army USMA 2005 KIA April 08, 2007</p>
<p>First Lieutenant Jonathan W. Edds , U.S. Army USMA 2005 KIA August 17, 2007</p>
<p>First Lieutenant Gregory Francis Zavota , U.S. Army USMA 2005 October 07, 2007</p>
<p>First Lieutenant Thomas M. Martin, U.S. Army USMA 2005 KIA October 14, 2007</p>
<p>First Lieutenant Matthew C. Ferrara , U.S. Army USMA 2005 KIA November 9, 2007</p>
<p>I posted the following article on the Naval Academy site. It provides a different prospective:</p>
<p>War Games
A West Point cadet may fulfill his Army obligations by playing in the NFL
Clay Travis </p>
<p>EACH DAY at 06:40 senior cadet Caleb Campbell eats an uneasy breakfast in the mess hall with 4,000 classmates at the United States Military Academy. “Every morning we worry that they’re going to announce, ‘It is my deepest regret to inform you…’” says Campbell, a 6’2", 229-pound strong safety and captain of the Army football team last fall. “It always begins like that when a former cadet has died in combat.” He pauses. “When we hear those announcements, the rest of the day is totally different. It gets to you.”</p>
<p>The realities of war—and the likelihood of a deployment to Iraq or Afghanistan—are part of life for every cadet at West Point. But Campbell’s path may soon diverge sharply from his classmates’. Earlier this month he attended the NFL combine in Indianapolis, where he was the first Army nonkicker ever invited. Like every participant he hopes to be drafted by an NFL team next month, but Campbell has more riding on the draft than most. He could be playing professionally next season. But if he isn’t taken or doesn’t make an NFL team as an undrafted free agent, he’ll likely be serving as a second lieutenant in Iraq or Afghanistan by the end of the year. Such is life on the banks of the Hudson River in a time of war.</p>
<p>In the past, star athletes at military academies (Navy’s Roger Staubach and David Robinson, for example) had to put pro sports careers on hold while they fulfilled their service obligations. (Staubach served four years, including one in Vietnam; Robinson served two years at a base in Georgia and then four as a reserve while playing in the NBA.) Campbell owes his chance to pursue his NFL dreams to a policy implemented by the Army in 2005 that releases cadets from their five-year active duty commitment if they have “unique talents and abilities.” It requires them only to “participate in activities with potential recruiting or public affairs benefit to the Army.” If he’s drafted, Campbell will serve as a recruiter for the Army during and after the NFL season, speaking to young people and working at the local recruiting office wherever he plays. (He would be excused from his five-year service commitment.) If he doesn’t hook on with a pro team within a year, he’ll return to the Army for five years.</p>
<p>The policy’s rationale is straightforward: West Point grads with highly visible talents create positive publicity for the Army, an aid to recruiting at a time when the military can be a hard sell. Josh Holden, a minor leaguer for the Cincinnati Reds, was the first Army graduate to benefit, in 2005; in all, fewer than 10 athletes have been excused from active duty. Campbell would become the first football player to receive the exemption, a distinction that makes him uncomfortable. “I came here after 9/11; I knew what to expect,” he says. “We’ve been trained to lead troops into battle. I expected to do that. I didn’t expect the Army to give me an opportunity to play in the NFL. But the difference gets to you. My best friends are probably going to be in Iraq soon.”</p>
<p>He may feel awkward, but Campbell is a singular football talent. He became a starter in the sixth game of his freshman season, and after finishing his sophomore year with a team-high five interceptions, Campbell was targeted by other college programs. (Cadets can transfer out of West Point after their sophomore years without penalty.) “That season coaches and players would talk to me after games and tell me to look at their school,” he says. The lobbying convinced Campbell to transfer to a football school with easier academics. In the summer of 2006 he took his transfer papers to then coach Bobby Ross—but Ross, using the exemption policy as a selling point, persuaded him to stay. “He told me I’d graduate from another school, but I wouldn’t care and that I probably wouldn’t even go to my own graduation,” Campbell says. “That got to me. I’ve never quit anything in my life. It’s hard here, really hard, but they make leaders of character.”</p>
<p>Campbell tore his ACL nine games into his junior season, but last fall he rebounded and made 97 tackles as a senior. At the combine he bench-pressed 225 pounds 24 times (second most of all defensive backs) and ran a 4.5 40. NFL teams are handicapping his draft status; Campbell recently completed details for a private workout with the Falcons on April 10. “He has great intangibles,” says one NFL scout who projects Campbell as a late-round pick. “He’s probably a backup safety and special teams player [in the NFL].”</p>
<p>The attention is a novelty for a kid from Perryton, Texas, the son of an oil company account manager and a stay-at-home mom, who received only two scholarship offers—Army and Tulsa—out of high school. But Campbell’s life remains austere. In an age when most combine invitees drop out of school to train, Campbell is still taking classes. Recently his Politics of Latin America professor, Major Lorenzo Rios, asked him to analyze ideological hegemony and the motivations behind Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez’s massing troops on the Colombia border. (Asked if NFL schemes will be difficult to grasp, Campbell just laughs.) As he awaits the draft, Campbell is living in Eisenhower Barracks, room 313, with two roommates, three bunk beds and a 23:30 light’s-out policy every night but Saturday. “I think cadets are not sure about the policy because they don’t really understand it,” says senior Kyle Snook, one of Campbell’s roommates. “But once they realize what’s going on, they’re excited for the publicity for the Army and the football team.”</p>
<p>On a recent Friday, Campbell stood on the overlook at West Point, staring out over the expanse of the Hudson River. He will graduate on May 31, but little else about his future is clear. When asked if he’s counting the days until the NFL draft, he doesn’t answer. Then after a minute or so, Cadet Campbell speaks softly, as if to himself. “What a view,” he says.</p>
<p>ONLY AT SI.COM
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<p>Clay Travis is the author of Dixieland Delight: A Football Season on the Road in the SEC.
Find this article at:
<a href=“http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1127538/index.htm[/url]”>http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1127538/index.htm</a></p>
<p>i would just like to state that, from my limited amount of time around Caleb Campbell this summer at SLS, he seemed to be a great leader, and i can hardly see him deciding to follow the principle of ‘evade, avoid, NFL’</p>