WOODY COLUMN: Graduation is the rule for W&M, UR football players

RICHMOND, Va. -- Cynicism comes easily when the topic is college athletics.

So much money is in play. Coaches who earn seven-figure salaries talk about "student-athletes," but their primary interest is the "athlete" and contract bonus clauses.

Then, there are those "student-athletes" who show up at a gas station armed with a pellet gun or get involved with the community through late-night fights in bars.

It's easy to snicker when the NCAA runs commercials about the 300,000 college athletes who are going pro in something other than sports.

Into this cistern of cynicism comes the William and Mary-University of Richmond football game.

The contest, Saturday at UR Stadium, could be an NCAA commercial.

Most of the players are going pro in something other than football.

They all are not going to be astronauts -- Leland Melvin, UR Class of 1986, is in orbit aboard the the space shuttle Atlantis -- but they are going to be accountants, teachers, coaches, lawyers and businessmen.

"These guys have lifted their academic muscles," Richmond coach Mike London said. "The track record proves they're going to be successful in the real world, whether it's CEO or NFL.

"Whatever the letters, they're going to earn them, and they're going to deserve them."

The most recent figures available from the NCAA show the football programs at Richmond and William and Mary have an 84 percent graduation rate.

That's impressive for the general student body at most schools, let alone a sport that demands as much time as football.

Make no mistake about this. London and William and Mary coach Jimmye Laycock want to win. The loser will not find solace in his program's graduation rate.

And this is not just another Spiders-Tribe game.

"It's a game of dramatic importance for seeding in NCAA playoffs," said CAA Commissioner Tom Yeager. "Only the top four are seeded, and we believe the winner will secure one of those spots."

But in the big picture, these coaches know they have a larger obligation to their players.

"You take a tremendous amount of joy and pride in watching your players graduate," London said. "Somewhere along the line, with the cajoling or encouragement or a pat on the back or a kick in the butt, whatever it is, you see guys develop.

"They go from, 'We have to go to study hall?' to 'Thanks, coach, for pushing me through.'"

Few of these players will be in NFL training camps next summer.

Richmond quarterback Eric Ward wants that opportunity. But if it doesn't come or if it arrives and ends quickly, Ward is prepared.

When this semester ends, he'll have his degree in art with a concentration in digital media. The world of graphic design or advertising awaits.

"There have been many, many late nights, for me and a lot of teammates, spent working on papers," Ward said. "This is a tough school academically. To be able to get through it as a student-athlete tells you you've accomplished something.

"Coach London always says go to class and show class."

Laycock's sentiment is the same.

Teams, coaches and players such as those at Richmond and William and Mary take the cynicism right out of college athletics.