Career Transition of African American Male Football Players at Division I Institutions
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University of Mississippi eGrove Electronic Theses and Dissertations Graduate School 2013 The Dilemma: Career Transition Of African American Male Football Players At Division I Institutions Kellen Jamil Northcutt University of Mississippi Follow this and additional works at: https://egrove.olemiss.edu/etd Part of the Sports Management Commons Recommended Citation Northcutt, Kellen Jamil, "The Dilemma: Career Transition Of African American Male Football Players At Division I Institutions" (2013). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 626. https://egrove.olemiss.edu/etd/626 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at eGrove. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of eGrove. For more information, please contact [email protected]. THE DILEMMA: CAREER TRANSITION OF AFRICAN AMERICAN MALE FOOTBALL PLAYERS AT DIVISION I INSTITUTIONS A Dissertation presented in partial fulfillment of requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of Higher Education The University of Mississippi by KELLEN JAMIL NORTHCUTT August 2013 Copyright © 2013 Kellen Jamil Northcutt ALL RIGHTS RESERVED ABSTRACT The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore and understand perceptions of African American male football athletes at Division I institutions that also played professional football, regarding their collegiate experiences and transition from athletics to post- playing careers. The study examined issues of race and social interaction, academic preparation, economic status, leadership opportunities, and the transitions from collegiate and professional sports. The participants in this study consisted of six former NFL players who attended college and played collegiately at NCAA predominately white Division I institutions in the Southern Regional Education Board member states in the United States. Using qualitative interview methods (pre-interview, focus group, individual interview), data was collected and analyzed using critical race and transition theories. The results of the analysis of the interview data identified six major themes: 1) The Importance of Football, 2) The Academic Smokescreen, 3) Issues of Race, 4) Economic Hardships, 5) Student-Athlete Rights, and 6) Difficult Transitions and Identity Issues. ii DEDICATION This research study is dedicated to: My wife and children. They have supported me through this endeavor. Without their love, patience, understanding, and support I would have never completed this great work. My loving parents. Your sacrifice, unwavering support, wisdom, leadership, and encouragement have molded me into the man I am today. Know that I am truly grateful for you. My late grandparents. I truly understand the sacrifices you made for me to have opportunities to live a better life as an African American. I know that your ceiling was my floor! I hope that you see that I listened to you about the importance of education, in particular, Grandaddy. I can still hear your voice saying, “make sure you get your education; no one can take that from you.” My mentors. These include my parents (Sammy and Theresa Northcutt), Derek Horne, Dr. Derrick Gragg, Ray Farmer, Woodie Dixon, David Cutcliffe, Yvette Rice, Dr. Phyllis Adams, and John Olive. I am thankful for each of you. Your commitment to excellence and heart to serve others is an inspiration. To all of my family and friends, know that your fellowship and encouragement was instrumental in the completion of this work. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am truly appreciative of Dr. Timothy Letzring, who has been a great advisor, advocate, and friend during my graduate school experience. Your support has been invaluable. Special thanks to Dr. Doug Davis; words cannot express how grateful I am to you for your commitment to me during this process. The time you invested in helping me organize, edit, and produce this final dissertation will never be forgotten. Know that I value your perspective and am thankful for your friendship as well as that of my other committee members, Dr. John Holleman and Dr. Brandi Hephner LaBanc. Additionally, I would like to thank the faculty in the Higher Education program. I truly enjoyed my learning experience and look forward to continued fellowship. To the research participants, thanks for your support and dedication. Notably, I want to thank my family, especially my beautiful Queen, Kimberly. Your unwavering love, support, encouragement, and commitment to our family made this accomplishment possible. Know that I love you. To my classmates, thank you for the friendships, class discussions, study groups, and great memories. I would be remiss if I did not thank James Meredith and the countless others who toiled for civil rights for African Americans. Your courage, tenacity, and sacrifices made it possible for me to complete this degree. Know that I am truly grateful. Lastly, and most important, I want to thank my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Without you, I would not have made it this far. You know me better than anyone. You have strengthened and provided for me in so many ways throughout my life. I truly appreciate your love and the people you have placed in my life. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ......................................................................................................... ii DEDICATION ..................................................................................................... iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................................. iv LIST OF TABLES……………………………………………………………... viii CHAPTER I, INTRODUCTION ......................................................................... 1 The Research Problem………………………………………………….. 1 Studies That Have Explored the Problem……………………………..... 3 Theoretical Framework…………………………………………………. 6 Significance of the Study……………………………………………….. 8 Purpose Statement . …………………………………………………….. 10 Research Questions…………………………………………………….. 11 Conclusion……………………………………………………………... 12 Organization of the Study………………………………………………. 13 CHAPTER II, REVIEW OF LITERATURE…………………..………………. 14 History of Sports Commercialization…………………………………… 15 Integration ……………………………………………………………... 17 Critical Race Theory…………………………………………………… 19 Graduation Rates………………………………………………………. 23 Academic Clustering…………………………………………………… 24 Time Demands ...... …………………………………………………….. 25 v Psychosocial Identity Issues……………………………………………. 26 Student-Athletes’ Motivations to Go Pro………………………………. 28 Exploitation…………………………………………………………….. 30 Faculty Perceptions of Student-Athletes……………………………….. 33 Transition Theory………………………………………………………. 35 Conclusion……………………………………………………………… 37 CHAPTER III, METHODOLOGY…………………………….……………….. 39 Participants and Setting………………………………………………… 41 Procedure………...…………………………………………………….. 42 Instrument ............. …………………………………………………….. 44 Methods of Analyses…………………………………………………… 45 Conclusion ............ …………………………………………………….. 46 CHAPTER IV, RESEARCH FINDINGS……………………………………… 47 Background of Participants…………………………………………….. 47 Tre Stallings……………………………………………………………. 49 Dr. Bradley Ekwerekwu……………………………………………...… 49 Eddie Kennison, III…………………………………………………….. 50 Kolby Smith……………………………………………………………. 51 Dr. Tommy Jackson……………………………………………………. 51 Kendrell Bell…………………………………..……………………….. 52 Major Themes………………………………………………………….. 52 Importance of Football…………………………………………. 53 The Academic Smokescreen……………………………………. 55 vi Issues of Race…………………………………………………… 61 Economic Hardships………………………………………….... 64 Student-Athlete Rights………………………………………… 69 Difficult Transitions and Identity Issues……………………….. 72 Summary of Findings…………………………………………………… 77 CHAPTER V, DISCUSSION…………………………………..………………. 78 Theoretical Analysis……………………………………………………. 78 Critical Race Theory…………………………………………… 78 Transition Theory…………………………………………..…… 82 Research Questions…………………………………………………….. 85 Strengths and Limitations………………………………………………. 91 Implications ........... …………………………………………………….. 92 Parents ....... …………………………………………………….. 92 Student-Athletes……………………………………………… 93 Football Coaches……………………………………………….. 94 Athletic Administrators and Campus Leadership……………… 94 Athletic Associations and Conferences………………………… 96 Future Research .... …………………………………………………….. 98 Conclusion ............ …………………………………………………….. 99 LIST OF REFERENCES .. …………………………………………………….. 101 APPENDICES ................. …………………………………………………….. 112 VITA…………………………………………………………………………… 133 vii LIST OF TABLES Table I: Percentages of African American Administrators Excluding Historically Black Institutions………………………………………………………………………………… 4 viii CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION The Research Problem Undeniably, the sports industry has impacted American society in many ways. From school age children competing in recreational leagues to learn character virtues and the importance of physical activity, to professional athletes entertaining the world through competition and serving as role models and heroes, sports are valued and imbedded in American culture. Although sports are an element of popular culture, they have a tremendous impact on society. Sports impact the economy, education, family, and social institutions (Beamon, 2008). According to a Harris Interactive Poll by Corso (2012), football has become America’s most popular sport. Because of its popularity, both collegiate and professional football are multibillion-dollar industries. Collegiate football, in particular, has garnered the scrutiny of critics (Stieber, 1991; Yost, 2010; Zimbalist, 1999) for the