President Trump hosted the U.S. Military Academy Army football team at the White House Monday to present them with the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy for winning their games against Navy and Air Force last season. When Trump spoke during the event, he proposed a policy for military academy athletes with the potential to go professional: deferring the service requirements of pro sports prospects so they can pursue a career in professional sports first. Then, the athletes could serve out their military contract when their professional career is over.
As it currently stands, athletes can apply for a waiver to defer some of their service after completing two years of their five-year commitment.
For a brief time, Trump’s idea was actually U.S. policy. Former President Barack Obama’s administration enacted it in 2016, but Defense Secretary Jim Mattis rescinded it in May 2017. At the time, then-Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White argued, “Our military academies exist to develop future officers who enhance the readiness and the lethality of our military services.”
To the contrary, Trump is right: It’s a rare instance where going back to an Obama-era policy would be good for the country.
The purpose of the U.S. Military Academy, Naval Academy, and Air Force Academy are to train future officers for military service, so it is easy to see why one would argue a pro sports career would not be a priority. However, it’s possible for someone to do both. Once their career is over, they could still fulfill their contract in full, achieving their dreams of being a pro athlete and serving the country. This would also allow the academy to receive more competent future soldiers who can serve their country without giving up on their professional sports dreams.
There’s no doubt pro athletes tend to be in pristine physical condition, as are top high school sports recruits. If a top prospect is promised that they can pursue a pro career if their college career goes well, they might be more inclined to go to a school rather than one which jeopardizes their chances of having a lucrative sports career. Meanwhile, the academies would benefit from having people who shined in physical training and brought skills learned in sports, such as mental toughness and teamwork.
Strong sports programs at the military academies would not only boost revenue, but they also may help the quality of nonathlete applicants. Take the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, for example. ESPN reports that an appearance in it leads to, on average, a 1% spike in applications to attend the school the following year. If a team reaches the Sweet 16, it increases 3%. Reaching the Final Four leads to a 4-5% bump, while the winner sees a bump of about 7-8%. Success in football can also lead to more applications and more exposure in what is known as the “Flutie Effect.” Theoretically, more applications could lead to better cadets and a stronger military overall.
There are currently a handful of pro athletes who graduated from the academies, including Pittsburgh Steelers offensive lineman Alejandro Villanueva (Army) and New England Patriots long-snapper Joe Cardona (Navy) in the NFL, and San Diego Padres farmhand Chris Rowley (Army), a pitcher who spent time at the MLB level with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2017 and 2018. Both Rowley and Villanueva served active duty before playing at the highest level of their sport. Cardona worked 55-hour weeks in Rhode Island his rookie season as a Naval officer, in addition to playing for the Patriots.
Allowing academy graduates to serve in the military after going pro would also lead to a recruitment boost. Consider the prominence an athlete would get if they spend four years at a military academy, become a star in their sport, and then retire from professional sports and serve five years in the military.
Currently, it’s unclear whether or not Austin Cutting, a long snapper out of the Air Force taken by the Minnesota Vikings in the 7th round of this year’s NFL Draft, will be able to play this season because of the rescinded policy. However, if the policy were reversed again, he would not have to worry about it, and there would be more military representation in the NFL. Cutting would still serve his country, as the average NFL career only lasts about three seasons. If his goes longer, he could still fulfill his contract at an older age in what would still be a mutually beneficial arrangement.
Now that Trump has admitted he’s open to this idea, it is time for his administration to do something about it.
Tom Joyce (@TomJoyceSports) is a freelance writer who has been published with USA Today, the Boston Globe, Newsday, ESPN, the Detroit Free Press, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, The Federalist, and a number of other media outlets.
