Fleming 1

Manuel Fleming
Lynn Raymond
UWRT 1103-104
24 July 2014
Visual Experience
(Fisher-Baum)
Athletes especially football players are often stereotyped as criminals and thugs. It has
often been discussed that the NFL has a problem controlling its players and keeping them out of
trouble, but this chart begs to differ. As seen in the chart NFL players do indeed commit more
crimes compared to the average US citizen in all categories except for drugs. But, when com-
pared to the average adult man of the US the NFL player, average citizen arrests differential is
almost significantly less in all categories other than weapons.



Fleming 2







(Powell-Morse)
A common stereotype of the NFL is that it is a league with a minimum of Cauca-
sians(meaning that have the least amount of players). Unbeknownst to most who are ignorant to
the sport, 29% of NFL football players are Caucasians. This stereotype can be attributed to the
fact that most who only watch highlights of NFL games will not truly see the significant amount
of Caucasians play because they do not typically play the flashy football positions like: run-
ning back, receiver, corner or safety, or even linebackers. Caucasians tend to play offensive line,
punter, quarterback, and tight end.







(Rampell) (US Census Bureau)
A constant stereotype of football player that has grown over the years is that they are
dumb or stupid and incapable of earning a degree. This map exemplifies the falsities in this ste-
Fleming 3

reotype. In 1986 41% of NFL players obtained their bachelors degree or higher while in the same
year only about 18-22% of normal Americans did. This map shows that football players do in-
deed have the ability to obtain a degree of higher learning and at a higher rate than normal people
at that. Since 1986 a survey on the NFLs players graduation rate from college has not been tak-
en.







Works Cited
Fischer-Baum, Reuben. "What Do Arrests Data Really Say About NFL Players And Crime?"
Deadspin. Deadspin, 11 July 2013. Web. 23 July 2014.
0
13
25
38
50
Percent of Americans that graduate college Percent of NFL players that have degrees
Graduation Rates 1986
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Powell-Morse, Andrew. "The Unofficial 2013 NFL Player Census." Best Tickets Blog.
Bestticketsblog, 5 Sept. 2013. Web. 23 July 2014.
Rampell, Catherine. "Data Reveal a Rise in College Degrees Among Americans." The New York
Times. The New York Times, 12 June 2013. Web. 23 July 2014.
United States. U.S. Census Bureau. U.S. Department of Commerce. Educational Attainment in
the United States: 2009. Washington: U.S. Census Bureau, 2009. Print.