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FSU's Rolle Named A Rhodes Scholar

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TBO.com

Published: November 22, 2008

Updated: 11/23/2008 12:22 am

Myron Rolle admitted his heart was pounding.

Thirteen finalists for the Rhodes Scholarship sat before the committee late Saturday afternoon, all hoping to hear their name called.

The committee chairman announced the first name - and it wasn't Rolle. Then the chair paused for three seconds - and called Rolle's name.

In that moment, the Florida State defensive back had joined the long line of presidents, authors and inventors whose resumes include the world's most prestigious post-graduate scholarship.

"Those three seconds seemed like an eternity; my heart was pounding," Rolle said. "The first thing I did was put my head down and thank God for the opportunity and moment. I knew it wasn't just me in the room. I had a lot of help from a lot of people."

Rolle was selected from 13 finalists in District 7, which covers Florida, Alabama and Tennessee. The other student selected was Parker Goyer, a Duke grad now at Harvard.

The U.S. each year sends 32 students - two from each of 16 districts - to do postgraduate study in Oxford, England, as Rhodes Scholars.

Rolle, a junior eligible for next spring's NFL draft, said he has not decided whether he would accept the Rhodes Scholarship or pursue pro football. If he accepted, Rolle, who wants to be a physician, would spend one year studying medical anthropology.

"The Rhodes - where the future is going with that - I want to make that decision with my family," Rolle said. "We haven't really talked about the future yet."

The selection - in the city where FSU coach Bobby Bowden was born and raised - came shortly after 5 p.m. Within minutes, Rolle was whisked off to catch a private plane to play in the FSU-Maryland game in College Park.

The plane was a corporate Lear jet provided free to FSU by Bob Basham, chairman and co-founder of Outback Restaurants, who is benefactor of the FSU business school and has a son and step-daughter who attend FSU.

Rolle texted friends before takeoff. Once airborne, he ate a sandwich, napped for a half-hour, then listened to his iPod.

The hour-and-half flight had Rolle in Baltimore just minutes after the game started. Following a police-escorted race to the stadium - monitored by ESPN broadcasters - Rolle was dressed and on the field by the second quarter. He entered the game with 1:30 left in the first half and FSU ahead 21-0.

Rolle became Florida State's third Rhodes Scholar in four years and fourth overall. Previous Rhodes Scholarship winners from FSU were student body president Joe O'Shea (2007), track and field All-American Garrett Johnson (2005) of Tampa Baptist and best-selling author Caroline Alexander (1976).

Rolle is believed to be the first major college football player selected for a Rhodes Scholarship since Cory Booker, a Stanford tight end and now mayor of Newark, N.J., who was chosen in 1992. Other major college football winners have included Ohio State receiver Mike Lane (1985), Southern Cal quarterback Pat Haden (1975), Army Heisman Trophy-winning halfback Pete Dawkins (1959) and Colorado halfback and U.S. Supreme Court judge Byron "Whizzer" White (1938).

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