Alabama Recruit Charged with Murder

[OldSchoolLion]

...tragic news for the victim and accused. 

https://www.si.com/college-football/2018/01/11/jessie-altman-college-football-recruit-arrest-murder-alabama

I used to think, "How stupid can you be, having such a bright future and blowing it like this?"  I have changed my tune as I have gotten older and gotten involved with counseling.  It's not that simple.  The lifestyle these kids are used to runs very deep. 

The situation with troubled youth is much like drug addiction.  The vast majority of people cannot simply stop without some major intervention.  They need to have a new design for living, the tools to do so, and a support system.  If not, relapse occurs almost invariably. 

That is why the prospect of a bright future alone is not enough to change behaviors. Look at how many pro players cannot keep their nose clean and/or end up blowing their fortunes.  Although going to college may get them away from bad influences, it does not teach kids how to lead an emotionally sober lifestyle.  That is why when you put them back in their element, they revert very quickly. Look at Aaron Hernandez.  

When we send these kids off to college, as coaches, we owe it to them to get them hooked up with the right people, who can give them the tools to lead a very different lifestyle.  Sure, we can say it's the responsibility of the parents, but we know how that ends up much of the time.  Professional counseling is becoming much more readily available through insurance.  Some of our kids desperately need such help, much more than an English literature in college.