Stereotypes Of Football Players Essay

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When people think about football players they usually picture them as an angry, violent, muscular jock. However, these stereotypes are not always true. Most football players are caring, down to Earth, average people just like the rest of their peers. Many misconceptions have been created due to the handful of football players that actually fit the stereotype. These blind assumptions can be hurtful and overwhelming at times. Sure, there are some football players that fit the stereotypes, but that is common with every stereotypical group. Not all football players are the dumb, good looking, star player that you see portrayed in the movies, they are much more than that; they are intelligent, hard working, and motivated individuals.
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However, most of the old stereotypes are still being used today. One major stereotype is that football players are unintelligent and lazy. While some football players struggle to maintain passing grades, others exceed expectations. For example, Richard Sherman ,a professional football player, is labelled as an unintelligent thug. Sherman earned a 4.1 GPA in high school and attended Stanford University, where he was a standout student-athlete. An article written by Ty Schalter for BleacherReport.com declares,”...while posting a 4.1 GPA—more than good enough to be accepted into Stanford, the first Dominguez player in over 20 years to be good enough athletically and academically to earn an invite there.” Sherman managed to keep his GPA up in college and helped his team to a school best 12-1 record. Sherman is not the only NFL player to excel in school. John Urschel who plays for the Baltimore Ravens is a standout in the classroom. Urschel is arguably the smartest man in the NFL with both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mathematics from Penn State. Despite his accomplishments, Urschel is pursuing a Ph.D. in mathematics from MIT, where he has earned four A’s in each of his four classes. These are only two of the many bright NFL

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