Value of a college scholarship: 1-on-1 with Byron Dawson

 Kevin Connelly, Shreveport Times  3:46 p.m. CDT June 3, 2016

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(Photo: Douglas Collier/The Times)

 

Byron Dawson may be the head football coach at Evangel Christian Academy, but he views himself as a mentor to an entire community of young men.

The Shreveport-Bossier City football community.

Dawson took over at his alma mater three years ago after spending nine seasons as an assistant. He was a decorated high school football player, including three consecutive undefeated Class 3A state championship seasons to close out his Evangel career, and a four-year letterman at LSU.

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At 36, he's already made an impact on countless lives around the community. Many of the kids seek him out because of his connections in college football and eagerness to help – no matter the school.

Dawson recently sat down to share his feelings on how college scholarships should be valued today and more.

 

How do you analyze the value of a college athletics scholarship?

► “For me, this has been a passion for years to help kids get to college. Studies show that in a lifetime, a person with a college degree makes a million more dollars on average than a person that doesn’t have a college degree. Just that fact alone, and just how tough it is to pay back student loans, if a kid has an opportunity to play a game they love, and also get to go to school for free, I think that’s truly a blessing from God. I don’t think people understand what a full ride means.

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“For example, when I was in college I paid for nothing and I got a college scholarship check every month. You could literally go to school for free, get all your meals paid for and you could get a check for a couple hundred bucks every week. I had teammates that sent money home to their family. So when you start talking about your major Division I schools like LSU, that’s what’s available – everything taken care of, no bills and then money in your pocket.

“And so I think that’s the value. And then at the end of your experience, after five years, if you’re fortunate enough to walk away with a degree, you walk away owing nothing. That’s key."

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What impact have you seen a college scholarship have on a student-athlete?

► “This year I was able to help a couple kids from other schools. Micah Minter from Byrd went to Texas Southern on a full ride scholarship. A few years ago, Brandon Wilson at Calvary – now he's finishing up at the University of Houston. And those are both guys that actually beat us in games those years and I was able to help those kids get full rides.

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“So, it changes your life and it also gives these guys the opportunity to help their family. Some of these kids that are getting full ride scholarships haven’t had a family member to ever graduate from college. I’ve had kids that haven’t had a family member graduate from high school. So if you can get that kid a full ride to college, and he goes to that college and gets his degree, now he can change generations. Because now that kid knows ‘I can do it and now my kids can do it,’ he can literally change generations.

 

How much do you focus on the fit academically for a kid, so he has the opportunity to graduate from that school?

► “In the climate that we have today, there’s so much focus on the athletic side of it and not the academic side and I think that’s a big mistake that parents, fans and people are making. When you go to college, you go in there as a student-athlete. Your number one priority is to get your degree. The saddest thing is when a guy goes there and plays for four or five years and he walks away with nothing. Now that university has just made a lot of money off of you and you benefited nothing because your career is over and you didn’t get what you came there to get.

“But if a kid can get his degree, he’s going to be able to help himself and he’s going to be able to tear down some barriers and have some doors open for the rest of his life. When I talk to parents, that’s the biggest thing that I stress. ‘Hey, you’re not going to play for a club or a franchise, you’re going to play for a university, which is there for education. And so this vehicle, which is this game, is allowing you to go there scot-free and it’s going to save you a lot of money. But when you get on that campus, you got one job and one focus and that’s to graduate.'

“That’s really the whole emphasis on the academics and what school can do for you. The game of football is a temporary game, but your education will sustain you for the rest of your life."

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What's your advice to student-athletes once they get on campus?

► “The most important thing – this is what I always tell the them – when you’re at that school, you need to get to know the guy that’s flying on the plane, that’s sitting by the head coach. You need to get to know that guy that’s sitting up in the box suite, because those are the guys that’re going to change your life. If you can connect with those guys, and get to know those guys, when your football career’s over those are the guys that can get you a job, that can hire you, that can help you start your career.

“So I always stress to the guys, while you’re getting to know the fans and the people that work in the equipment room and all that, get to know these boosters, get to know the CEOs, get to know the people that run businesses – get to know those people."

 

What are some of your favorite success stories?

► “To be honest, I’ve got so many over the years that it's hard ... I think Brandon Wilson, because it was very unique. I was a defensive coordinator (at Evangel) at the time and he was a running back for Calvary. He beats us on a last-minute play down the sideline for 80 yards that year. Later, I find out he doesn’t have a college to go to. He contacts me and I was able to make a phone call.

"In life, it’s not about what you know, but who you know. In my experience at Evangel, having all these coaches come through here, I’ve been able to build relationships. So I make a phone call to the University of Houston and now this year Brandon Wilson, in their great season, started on both sides of the ball and he’s on track to be a first-day draft pick and to graduate.

"So he beats us with a rival school and then a couple months later I was able to help him get into college. He had signed with Tyler Junior College and it was after signing day he got a full ride to the University of Houston. Even when a kid beats you or goes to a rival school, when it comes to just helping somebody and doing the right Christian thing, you have to do it to help a kid. I think that’s one of those stories that stand out.

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“Chris Bradley is another one. He didn’t have anything about a month out and he ended up signing with TCU. He’s in his third year at TCU and that scholarship is valued at $60K a year. I could go on and on and on – Jerry Tillery coming in a couple of years ago having the dream to go to Notre Dame. He’s in his second year there. I could just go down the list over the years of kids that have gotten great scholarships.

“Trey Wilson, who graduated from Vanderbilt a couple of years ago, is from Evangel. Think about having a degree – I can’t even say the type of degree he got from Vanderbilt because it’s so complex.

“There’s tons of stories. You make a phone call, a kid gets to college and then three or four years later you get the invitation to their graduation. You kinda forget about it, next thing you know this kid's graduating. Once you watch a kid do that and his peers see him do it, that just builds everybody’s confidence. ‘Hey, I can do it too.’"