Balancing College Football and Military Duties

This might be a bit of an unusual question, but is it possible to play college football while also serving in the military? How do the logistics of that work?

Playing college football while serving in the military is certainly possible, especially if you're considering attending one of the service academies. In fact, the United States Military Academy (West Point), the United States Naval Academy, and the United States Air Force Academy all field Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) teams. There are also numerous stories of players on non-service academy teams who are also affiliated with the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC).

If you're attending a non-service academy school, there would need to be coordination between your ROTC duties and your athletic commitments. This would require both great time and task management skills. Keep in mind that ROTC commitments can include early morning physical training, academic classes, and leadership labs throughout the week, not forgetting that you would be a full-time student, too.

Ultimately, whether you're at a service academy or not, managing both would be quite the challenge. It's not just about managing time; your two commitments will bring about physical, mental, and emotional demands that you need to consider. Balancing your academic, military, and athletic duties would be crucial.

Take Army's Ahmad Bradshaw as an example. He was a successful college football player at West Point while also serving in the military. After he finished his military service, he played professional football. So while it is certainly a challenging and demanding path, it is possible with the right determination and time management skills.

Remember, the path of a military academy allows one to serve on active duty immediately after graduation while playing collegiate sports, while schools with ROTC programs would allow one to serve in the reserves or the national guard during college and active duty after graduation. All while playing sports. Choose the path that aligns best with your personal and career aspirations.