So much for the “Little Admiral.”
Corey Robinson, a 6-foot-4, sure-handed wide receiver at San Antonio Christian High School, has committed to play football at Notre Dame next season, according to multiple reports. The son of Naval Academy grad and Basketball Hall of Famer David Robinson, Corey had considered following his father’s path to Annapolis, albeit in a different sport. This Sports Illustrated piece outlines the younger Robinson’s decision-making process — one that steered him away from the academy as the interest from top-tier football programs mounted.
Aside from Navy and Notre Dame, ESPN.com reports the soon-to-be plebe freshman had offers from Iowa, Kansas, North Carolina and Wake Forest. Check out some video here, including an interview with the future Golden Domer.
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Good for him. The various military academies should be for those seriously committed to leadership and the Services. The idea of sports recruiting at the Academies diminishes the seriousness of years of service following graduation in favor of a few years on the field during school. Academy sports recruiting ought to be dropped altogether. Further, those who commit to pursuing Academy nominations and are not selected ought to be required to enlist for a 2 or 3 year period. How can one pursue an Officer commission yet not be willing to enlist for a term?
Publius,
interestingly enough if you look at the numbers most officers do not matriculate from the Naval Academy and if you were to place that restriction on recruiting you would likely effectively end that institutions ability to recruit and make it such that every officer comes from a civilian school. Is that what you would prefer? It isn’t enough to be willing to sign up for that long? Instead of having dedicated individuals willing to sign up for 5 years of service following graduation and 4 years of training at that school you would rather have every officer come out of OCS or ROTC instead? And you would prefer to have your enlisted ranks now full of people that were not selected for Annapolis who are now jealous of the people that they are working for who were selected when they were not?
As far as sports, how do you intend to get the best and brightest without having a sports program? Do you think you are going to recruit the best athletes in the world that might become your next Navy Seal Officers by not having any sports programs that are competitive? (and you can’t be competitive without recruiting). At 17 many of our youths are not committed to “leadership” – they don’t know what it is, that is what the service academy is designed to teach them. And the sports field is an excellent place to learn leadership, teamwork, integrity. If you want a Navy full of bookworms that is a perfect way to get it.
Reality is that people like D. Rob. did and continue to do great things for the Navy by recruiting the best and brightest – and just because you don’t like it doesn’t mean it isn’t the best thing for our country and our Navy.
Publius I do disagree with your idea that anyone pursuing an appointment should be willing to enlist if the appoint is not forthcoming. All you will do is discourage those who would pursue a commision via ROTC if they go to a civilian second choice school.
WHen it comes to sports at the Academy’s, rather than elimintate recruitng, Iwould rather see that the post graduate commitment be firmly enforced and that athletes know this going in. IF at the end of their Academy carreer they have an offer to play professional sports they should be given a choice serve their commitment or give up their commision and PAY the taxpayers back for the full cost of their education (including the Pay they received as Midshipmen/Cadets). ANd this pay back will come out of any signing bonus or first year pay (until fully paid back they collect what their counter parts as Ensigns or 2LT collect).
Publius,
As a Naval Academy graduate, I think your comments are without basis and are actually well off target. Annapolis, and all of the military academies, are about leadership, honor, courage, commitment, and the ideals that make our military officer corps the best in the world. Those who choose to pursue athletics while also attending the academies have even more of a challenge, as they have to balance the daily academic rigors with time spent working out and practicing their sport.
And, for the record, I have served alongside both athletes and non-athletes for the past 21 years, and I see nothing to support your argument.
-CrazyCajun1995
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