CNN analysis: Some college athletes play like adults, read like 5th-graders

[longknife]

By Sara Ganim, CNN

(CNN) -- Early in her career as a learning specialist, Mary Willingham was in her office when a basketball player at the University of North Carolina walked in looking for help with his classwork.

He couldn't read or write.

"And I kind of panicked. What do you do with that?" she said, recalling the meeting.

Willingham's job was to help athletes who weren't quite ready academically for the work required at UNC at Chapel Hill, one of the country's top public universities.

Is anyone surprised by this? Athletes are given breaks at all levels of the education system. Our modern day gladiators who throw themselves into the fray – with little ability to control their futures due to lack of education. Read more @ CNN: Some college athletes play like adults, read like 5th-graders - CNN.com