Academics over football

UConn defensive tackle Danny Russell is transferring.

It is an academic decision. The UConn School of Business is tremendous, what I get from Danny is that he felt he was missing out on the academic experience while playing football. And if he wasn't going to play football here, then his scholarship would be gone, and then what's the purpose of even sticking around? He probably wants a more traditional college experience with less athletic pressure. If he was going to ever transfer, this is the time to do it.

It's funny, I had a college friend of mine at UConn who was accepted to Princeton out of high school. He went to UConn on a full academic ride and struggled with not going to Princeton, but now he is happy he went to UConn and didn't have to pay for school. But, for Russell, no football meant he has to pay for school. If that's the case, it isn't a good fit for him anymore.

The fact is if it wasn't for football, Russell would have never come to UConn. He was trying to find a school that had a good academic-athletic balance. Now, he is going academics first, athletics second. I wouldn't be surprised if he went to an Ivy League School or Georgetown and never play football again. Certainly, the athletic commitment for Russell is overwhelming. It is a full-time job.

You have to love the sport to play it at a Division I level.