Athletes earn praise for the work they do on the playing field or court, but they also take the title of student-athlete into the classroom everyday.
Road games, booing fans and critical members of the media are incorporated into a student's experiences to make college life difficult and demanding.
No one knows this better than Dr. Tim Sumner, Director of the Center for Athletic Academic Services. Sumner, a former assistant baseball coach and assistant athletic director at Mississippi State, said he stresses to athletes the importance of an education.
"Many of our student-athletes don't realize that they are here for an education first," Sumner said. "But that is not in any way, shape or form unique to The University of Memphis."
Sumner said the center sends out two progress reports per semester to each coach listing the individual athlete's performance in class. The report lists information about attendance, tardiness, motivation and any discipline problems.
"It is the coach's responsibility, besides the player's, to have that student-athlete in class. It is not the responsibility of the center," Sumner said.
Sumner said at the beginning of each semester the center sends faculty members a copy of an athletes' travel schedules for the year and the athlete and professor plan assignments around it.
Athletes and their advisors also plan their class schedule around activities. Tiger fullback Darche Epting said he meets with his advisor at least four times a semester to plan around football related events.
"Basically, we are putting our schedules together around lifting or practice," Epting said.
Epting added that any missed classes usually result in penalties.
"If we don't go to class, we have to run," Epting said.
Women's track senior Kameilah Amaya said her advisors mainly helped her out during the early years of college, telling her which classes to take.
"They don't tell you what teachers to take, but they do say this specific teacher may be easier to understand," Amaya said.
Amaya said discipline is also left up to her coach.
Sumner said that faculty members usually understand that athletes have to miss class because they are legally bound by scholarship to be representatives of the university.
"The cooperation with faculty is good, but it is not unanimous," Sumner said.
Sumner said that the athletic department's reputation has drastically improved in the last 15 years.
Proof exists in the figures.
In 1986, the percentage of freshman athletes who went on to finish their eligibility and graduate was 16 percent.
Sumner said that number drops anytime an athlete transfers, drops out of school or dies. Sumner said that number is now at 59 percent.
He stated that nine out of 10 athletes who exhaust their eligibility eventually go on to earn their degrees.
Sumner said that the good aspects of his job are the athletes who have called him after they have graduated to thank him for his efforts.
"The rewarding part of this job is seeing a kid's eyes light up when they are asked to do the right thing and they do it," Sumner said.
