Athletes are regular people; there is nothing different about them, right? That is what we are supposed to believe at least. Athletes are just students, they are not to be treated differently.

However, when news broke about the early morning TCU drug bust where 17 students were arrested on drug dealing charges, the idea that student athletes are just regular students dissipated.

Why? It is simple, and here is my example. “TCU drug bust includes 4 football players.” This is the headline from the Associated Press. 

Instead of 17 students it clearly says four football players. It gives the juicy detail right there because it is not what one would expect.

Athletes are supposed to be in a different league, they are supposed to be the role models for little boys and girls across the country that aspire to be athletes themselves one day. Yet, the largest arrests in school history includes not one, but four football players for a prestigious university.

It is a terrible and sad event that brings TCU into the lime light and is causing every other school to cross their I’s and dot their T’s.

While it is being looked at as a sort of doomsday for TCU and the surrounding community, I can’t help but to notice the truth it brings out; that athletes are not invincible.

Perhaps some of them are invincible on the football field, but that idea is not to be carried out into everyday life.

Take for example the recent media coverage of Josh Hamilton.

The Texas Rangers outfielder recently announced he had another alcohol relapse, something thousands of Americans struggle with everyday. Since he is a Dallas icon, it is looked at as different from a regular guy who struggles with alcohol. I do not say this to downgrade the problem.

They are 100 percent human and life treats them the same way it treats every other non-athlete.

Now, some may reject that statement saying they get benefits, their school is paid for, etc.

Yes, that is very much a true rebuttal statement, yet they are also working hard to keep that scholarship and if they do not perform, well I hope they have enough years of eligibility left to transfer.

I am going to go ahead and say, student athletes and athletes in general have to work a little harder in the game off the field — life.