By Jimmy Gilmartin ‘23

Over the past few months, there have been a handful of stories released about some of the nation’s top athletes getting in serious trouble. The most notable incident involved NBA superstar Ja Morant.

Morant is arguably the best young player in the NBA and is on track to becoming the next face of the league. That is, of course, if he can stay out of trouble.

Morant has been involved in two incidents over the past month that really put his character into question. Just days after a story came out about Morant punching a 17-year-old over a basketball game, he was seen waving a gun around in a nightclub on social media.

Senior Nick Dorn said, “It is sad seeing someone who has so much potential possibly ruin their chances”

Morant is not the only star athlete who has been on the hot seat lately. Alabama basketball star Brandon Miller and Georgia football star Jalen Carter are both projected to go at the top of their draft. They have both jeopardized those chances by being involved in various run-ins with the police.

Senior Joe Heilmann said, “Little kids look up to these guys and want to be like them when they grow up. This is not the example that they should be setting for others”

It really is sad seeing some of these guys setting a poor example for future generations. These are the people little kids aspire to be like when they are older. Something needs to change, and athletes should find more opportunities to be a positive influence on the younger generation.

Senior Will Owens said, “Athletes are sometimes held to a higher standard, and they should be. The impact their decisions have on younger kids is much bigger than the average person.”