FAYETTEVILLE — Most of us have seen the commercial.
On the TV screen, a basketball player dribbles while writing a formula on a chalkboard. A gymnast uses one hand to work with lab equipment while balancing his elevated body by holding a gymnastic ring with the other. A tennis player bounces a ball on a racquet while manipulating a computer touchscreen. Finally, a soccer player bounces a ball on his foot as he plays a violin.
In the midst of those images, a voice says "There are more than 400,000 NCAA student-athletes, and just about all of us will be going pro at something other than sports."
That commercial came to mind last week when our sports staff produced several "where are they now" stories about some former UA stars who have ended their professional athletic pursuits and ventured into new parts of their life journeys. These types of stories are great opportunities to catch up with folks we once rooted for.
They're also the kind of stories that get done when 15 inches of snow on the ground cancels every athletic competition in the region. But they remain fun and interesting reads.
There was former Hog running back Fred Talley, who became the UA's seventh all-time leading rusher with 2,661 yards and 11 touchdowns. Today, he's a personal trainer who has taken up officiating at area high school basketball games.
Steven Hill, the 7-foot former Hog basketball player, is now a pricing manager at J.B. Hunt, the trucking and logistics company. I remember watching him go from what seemed like a scrawny, but tall, kid to developing into a strong defensive force for the Razorbacks when he played from 2005-08.
Other stories showed the post-athletics life of baseball player Brady Toops and former Oklahoma Sooner and Springdale native Krista Sanchez.
Arkansans, it seems, continue to root for the men and women they came to know as athletes as they make the transition from athletic competitor to participants in the real world.
When athletes return years after their playing days are over, the crowds at Bud Walton Arena, Razorback Stadium and other venues are usually eager to show appreciation for the memories.
Still, some people see these athletes' entry into what one might call "normal" jobs as a sort of consolation prize. You can hear it in their voices when they see the stories and say "Oh, I'm glad things turned out OK for him." It's almost as if they're expressing a bit of pity over the fact that these athletic competitors have to take off their Superman tights and joined the rest of us mere mortals.
It's an entirely misplaced emotional response.
According to NCAA statistics, the fact that these young people competed at the collegiate level makes for a pretty amazing accomplishment.
Consider basketball. The governing body of college athletics estimates there are 540,000 high school basketball players in the U.S. Of those, 17,000 become college-level players. When it comes to graduating to professional sports, 1.2 percent of college basketball players make it to the professional ranks. A whopping 0.03 percent of the high school athletes make it to the professional level.
What these "where are they now" types of stories demonstrate aren't reason for pity. Heck, save the pity for folks who have never pursued their dreams. These student-athletes are due credit for great achievements in their sports. When their playing days come to an end, they've accomplished more than most of us have had the guts or the ability to pursue.
Unfortunately, we see plenty of former (and sometimes current) players making the news in bad ways. Keith Jackson Jr. was just arrested on some theft, gun and drug charges in Little Rock. Superstar quarterback Matt Jones made national headlines with his cocaine-related arrest in Fayetteville a couple of years back. There are a lot of examples of athletes whose post-sports lives are messes.
One can be forgiven for believing that the Darren McFaddens and Felix Joneses represent the biggest success stories arising from our Razorback athletics program, and the men and women who continue their sports success after college are to be commended.
But so many more, positively influenced by the lessons learned on the field of athletic competition, go on to lead outstanding lives when sports careers are done.
That's something worth cheering for.
Greg Harton is local editor of the Northwest Arkansas Times.