Rolle Looks to Cash In on Rhodes Scholar Jaunt

Myron Rolle thinks he can make up the roughly $8 million he passed up by putting off the NFL for a year to be a Rhodes scholar with endorsement deals from companies enticed by his mix of brains and brawn. Rolle’s agents are working the phones, and have already snagged a helmet company, the Wall Street Journal reports. But other advertisers worry he’ll be an NFL bust: The defensive back was a top tackler but had only one interception during his NCAA career—and some see his deferment as a sign that he's not serious enough about football.

Rolle breezed through Florida State in three years with a 3.75 GPA before heading to Oxford for an MA in medical anthropology. He hopes to be a neurosurgeon when he’s done playing football. “He will be the poster child of the NFL, in terms of what he stands for,” boasts his agent. “Especially given some of the challenges they've had recently with players.” But Rolle has to prove that he’s still a top prospect, using his media exposure to boost his stock—and then play well once he gets drafted. (More Myron Rolle stories.)