Sad but very true. I've seen high school coaches push student-athletes toward high-academic college programs, knowing the athlete may not be academically prepared for that environment. Then, a year later, the athlete is back home—not because they couldn't play football, but because they couldn't meet the academic demands. Every opportunity isn't the right opportunity. As coaches, parents, and mentors, our responsibility is to help young men find the best fit academically, athletically, and socially. Setting an athlete up for long-term success is far more important than chasing the biggest logo or the highest level. Football can open the door, but academics determine whether you get to stay in the building. Let's make decisions that give student-athletes the best chance to earn a degree, develop as people, and succeed long after the final whistle.