You ask interesting questions.  Yes, there are incidents of "star" athletes also being "star" students.  To be sure, the U of O, for example, has had athletes who are also great students.  This occurs more often in "minor" non-revenue sports than it does in, especially, football and men's basketball.  Elite football and basketball players are far more likely to have spent their youth concentrating on their athletics rather than academics...this is not a racist or unfair comment.  To be sure, D1 football and basketball have an "overrepresentation" of, especially, Black athletes.  People find this "akward" to discuss, but it's simply a fact. IMO, this over-representation results from socioeconomic factors and is not a reflection on race per se' and athletics have been an avenue for many inner-city Blacks to better their lives....including receiving an college education.  It's also simply a fact that many of them have "weaker" academic backgrounds than most entering students. (cont)