College Athletes: The Fab Five

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The Fab Five was the nickname given to a group of five starting freshman for the University of Michigan when they were recruited in 1991 (Wordpress). The Fab Five consisted of Chris Webber, Jalen Rose, Juwan Howard, Jimmy King, and Ray Jackson. They led the Spartans to two championship appearances in ‘92 and ‘93 and became huge marketing targets that brought in a tremendous cash flow. Before the five starters stepped onto the court in ‘91, the University of Michigan was making $1.5 million on merchandise, and after the players were brought to the team, sales skyrocketed to over $10 million a year (Wordpress). Nike was using the five to promote themselves as a company be releasing a shoe named after the group, which made everyone else rich except …show more content…
Only 1% of college athletes find a way to excel in the professional realm (Manfred), but the other 99% must find a different way to take care of themselves after their typical four years of athletics and education is over with. Like stated before, the average athlete spends more time practicing than the average student spends at a full-time job, but they aren’t receiving the same reward for it. This means that the athletes may not have a base to step off after their college careers end because they never had the time to get a job to save money for when they start living on their own. Once the small and large scholarships run out, the athletes will have to pay for everything that was at one time covered by their college, and the elements that were not. With this being said, it would be crucial for the student-athletes to receive a check from their college so they are able to relieve some of the stress that comes with the idea of taking the next step in their life. So by supplying an athlete with some sort of income, they can become less fearful of starting at ground zero once the stadium lights turn off for the final