There's a lot to be said for small-college football

The athletes receive no scholarships, but pay tuition like every other student at the college. They're supposed to get good grades and graduate in four years. And along the way, they're also expected to bring home championships to their small-town Ohio college campus. If such a description sounds like a dream or a 1940's-vintage heart-warming movie -- surprise -- the era is the 21st century, the college is Mount Union in Alliance, and the football championship it brough home last Saturday -- the NCAA Division III -- is its sixth.
The Purple Raiders are just the fourth team to win six national championships in their division. Oklahoma has seven and Alabama and Georgia Southern also have six each.
All-around good guy: But next year, when the big-name university athletic big shots are waiting for the football draft, the Purple Raiders' star player -- Chuck Moore of Mogadore, the NCAA Division III Player of the Year -- will already be working, but not as an athlete. The senior, with a 3.8 grade point average, has a job all lined up -- as a stockbroker. Oh, and he's also an active volunteer with Big Brothers and participates in a reading program with local grade school students
Mount Union College may have the oldest NCAA football stadium in Ohio and an enviable team record, winning 81 of its last 82 games, but easily as important for the 2,300 student institution is the fact that during the 2000 - 2001 academic year alone, Mount Union produced 14 Academic All Ohio Athletic Conference awardees and three Academic All-Americans.
Officially, "Mount Union College offers a liberal arts education grounded in the Judeo-Christian tradition. The College affirms the importance of reason, open inquiry, living faith, and individual worth. Mount Union's mission is to prepare students for meaningful work, fulfilling lives, and responsible citizenship."
The college takes that mission seriously, even for, or perhaps, especially for athletes. In 16 seasons as head coach, Larry Kehres has had only one player who didn't graduate after playing four seasons.
How remarkable. Real student-athletes playing for the love of the game. Congratulations to Kehres and his team for winning off and on the field.