SBF I think you make a good point here. I don't necessarily agree with the damaged goods point. I do agree with the coddling and rewarding aspect of your statement. From the point at which they get recognition at the HS level they are given passes to some extent in HS with grades and are considered heroes when they are 17 and 18. This is where it starts. Even at this point they start to think they are above the norm and are the exception to the rules. It gets worse when they are recruited because now they think they are special and are more valuable than others. This just keeps snowballing as many of the colleges have athletic dorms which are nicer than the dreary cinder block dorms most have to stay in their Freshmen year. For many their way is paid and they are totally taken care of and protected in college. Their sense of value is so distorted by this point that they actually believe they can do anything and be exempt from punishment. They also believe that they should be given respect just because of who they are.
Respect is earned not given yet these guys believe it's their right. They have a distorted sense of superiority and a belief they are above and don't need to answer to any authority outside of football. The fact that many also maintain a inner group (that being the football team) they are not and don't expose themselves to the real world. They become legends in their own mind.
