A Change in Culture
12/2/2014 4:03:00 PM | Football
From Akron Game Program
Last month, Kent State placed three football players (Nick Cuthbert, Nick Holley, Jordan Italiano) on the Capital One Academic All-District 5 Team for the first time since 2002. The feat wasn't just a reflection of the three players, but a representation of the pride the entire team has taken in its approach to academics in recent years.
In 2011, "The 3.0 Wall" first appeared in the Flashes' football office, displaying the framed headshot and grade point average of every football player who achieved a 3.0 or better in the previous semester. Staring players and visitors in the face the second they walked into the office, "The 3.0 Wall" served as a constant reminder that Kent State values effort in the classroom just as much as effort on the field.
The display was the beginning of a culture change among players. Assistant Athletic Director for Student-Athlete Academic Services Talea Drummer, who has worked closely with the team for five seasons, has enjoyed a front row seat to the transformation.
"A lot of the resources we have in place for them have changed (in recent years)," Drummer said. "The help from the coaches has been instrumental and there's been a huge buy-in from the players."
Throughout football season, Drummer attends weekly team meetings and presents Student-Athlete of the Week certificates to deserving members.
"It's my favorite part of the week," Drummer said. "The awards either go to someone who had great grades or had a major turnaround in some way."
Players now look forward to that meeting almost as much as a game day. Some even attempt to state their case to Drummer ahead of time.
"They come into my office and show me the 'A' they get on their paper now," Drummer said. "The overall culture has changed when it comes to academics. And when they realized you didn't have to be on the Dean's List or the President's List to be Student-Athlete of the Week and that you could just be a student that works hard and does well on something to get acknowledged…that's what really got the excitement started.
"And then when it really kicked in was how excited they started to get for each other when they heard each other's names. I love when they cheer and scream. It's awesome."
Before Drummer mentions the winners' names, she talks about their accomplishments as drama builds.
"Of all the meetings we have, the most enthusiastic one is when Talea announces Student-Athlete of the Week," said Head Coach Paul Haynes. "You have guys who are really sitting on the edge of their seats, hoping that it's them.
"There's a lot of energy in that room. It really is a big deal for them. When she announces them, the place goes crazy on every name, especially if it's one of the guys who you wouldn't think would get it. The smile on their face is unbelievable because they're really proud to have it."
As an added incentive, the Student-Athletes of the Week are also displayed on the TV monitors in the Academic Resource Center. While the weekly awards provide plenty of excitement, the biggest recognition of all comes at the end of the fall, spring and summer terms.
"We announce every 3.0 student all the way up to our 4.0 students," Drummer said. "It's amazing how excited they get about that. They want to hear their name. They want that recognition and acknowledgement."
As for the players who know they've done well in the classroom, they want to be heard at the end of the list, knowing they're close to being on the Dean's List or the President's List.
"Once we get to 3.4, their reaction is epic," said Drummer. "It's really something to see. It's definitely my favorite time to be in front of the team."
The individual accomplishments have led to team accomplishments. The grade point averages during the last two spring semesters (2013, 2014) have been the two highest spring semesters in football program history and recent fall semesters have also been among the program's best. Over the last four semesters, the team has been able to maintain 40 students on The 3.0 Wall.
Last year, Jordan Italiano became just the second player in program history to be named to the Capital One Academic All-America Team as a sophomore. Simply being nominated for Capital One's Academic All-District Team requires a 3.3 cumulative GPA, being a starter or key reserve and being at least a sophomore in playing eligibility. And the number of Kent State nominees has been at all-time high in the last two years. Four Golden Flashes were named to the Academic All-Mid-American Conference Team last year, while four others earned Honorable Mention.
"There are always a number of guys who are academic leaders," Drummer said. "You have people like Jordan and April Goss who consistently stay above the Dean's List range. And you also have players who have made a complete 180 on how they want to improve their grades and be successful. We even have some true freshmen who have really impressed me."
With various ways of arriving there, over half the team has received a Student-Athlete of the Week award. At the rate the team is going, the postseason honors will continue to increase.
"They all encourage each other and lean on each other," Drummer said. "And they're really proud of each other.
"When we announced Nate Vance graduated summa cum laude, the reaction was great. Some of his teammates gave him a standing ovation and others were screaming. You would have thought we won the Akron game the way they reacted."
Vance is among three players (Calvin Tiggle & Casey Pierce) that are currently graduate students, all of whom finished above a 3.0 as undergrads. Regardless of on the field accomplishments this season, one thing Haynes knows he will be proud of, is the way his players perform in the classroom.
"We really value academics," Haynes said. "It's definitely talked about at other schools, but the body of work and realness of what we do is something you don't see at a lot of places."
