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INSIDE MAN

Inside Man: College Athletes

Aired June 8, 2014 - 22:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MORGAN SPURLOCK, CNN HOST: College sports isn't just big fun, it's big business, generating billions a year for the NCAA and universities. These days, there's a lot to talk about whether the system is unfair for student athletes. If the schools are making millions, are the players getting their fair share?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: People act like these kids don't get any...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They're getting a free education. They're getting room and board.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The hungry night, I go to bed and I'm starving.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's time that they get some spending money.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They're not employee, they're students.

SPURLOCK: In order to explore life as an amateur athlete, I'm going back to college as a football player. I'm going to feel that in the morning.

I love professional sports. Almost every professional athlete got their start at a place like this, at a university or college playing as a student athlete. Universities like these make millions of dollars through their athletic program, and those student athletes are now saying hey, we should get a piece of that action. Critics that plan, though, say you already do. You got a full ride scholarship as part of your education. Question is who's right? If you're a fan, there's always something for everyone. And look at this store, there's like everything here, banners, shirts, flags? Already done watching the game? I wish I was right there. A hundred dollars for this, $115 for that, I think when you get them on, you had a little fight. I'm not number one, no, I'm number one. They have anything you could want with a team's name on it.

Schools are making loot, a lot of loot. Last year, 13 college sports programs, each surpassed $100 million in revenue, and the NCAA earned nearly $913 million, $681 million from T.V. and marketing deals. And when you add up the money earn the by service industries on game day and per merchandising, that's billions of dollars generated by over 400,000 college athletes every year. See now, when you start getting into the jerseys, this is where the question of athlete compensation becomes a real issue. Like, the whole reason people are buying all of this stuff that you

see in the store is because there is loyalty to those teams. And then you get to the jerseys, and now not only is it your team, but it's tied to a player. Take this jersey, here it is, this is T.J. Yeldon, number 4, Alabama, and this guy is a star, sells for $120. He doesn't see any of that money. Mostly, these guys are saying is just my education enough, because these schools are making millions on the backs of them. To get a closer look at how the college sports machine really works, I'm heading down south to suit up with one of the most respected college football programs in the country, the University of Mississippi, or affectionately known as Ole Miss.

ROSS BJORK, OLE MISS ATHLETIC DIRECTOR: Hey, Morgan.

SPURLOCK: How are you?

BJORK: Welcome to Ole Miss.

SPURLOCK: Good to see you.

BJORK: Glad you're here.

SPURLOCK: Yeah.

BJORK: Come on in.

SPURLOCK: Appreciate it. This looks pretty brand new.

BJORK: This is the renamed manning center. We're doing a $12.5 million renovation, expansion.

SPURLOCK: It's apparent right away the Ole Miss takes its football very, very seriously. They also take their legacies very seriously. Ole Miss is the alma mater of both Eli Manning and his father Archie. There's manning way, the speed limit is set to Archie's jersey, number 18. This is impressive. And the family even helped to fund the multimillion dollar renovations to the indoor football facility.

BJORK: Brand-new weight room.

SPURLOCK: It's beautiful. BJORK: Team meeting room. Brand new locker room.

SPURLOCK: This does not smell like a locker room. Although they're called amateur athletes, there's clearly nothing amateurish about this facility.

BJORK: Individualized access, you know, with the fingerprint.

SPURLOCK: It looks like the FBI.

BJORK: Players lounge, couches, computers, Ping-Pong, video games.

SPURLOCK: You have a jumbotron.

BJORK: Yeah. We've got our bowl trophy, reminder of success. SPURLOCK: That's awesome. Three national championships, six Heisman

trophy finalists, 21 bowl victories, I didn't even go to Ole Miss and I'm proud. How many NFL players has almost had (ph) over the years?

BJORK: That's a great question. We created rebels in the NFL hall way. Below each mannequin we've got the names of all the Ole Miss players who played on these particular teams.

SPURLOCK: On game day?

BJORK: Yeah. You're walking out to a full house. You start to see the field.

SPURLOCK: Awesome.

BJORK: Here you are. Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, SEC football.

SPURLOCK: Standing in the middle of this storied field, it's impossible not to be swept up in the legacy of this great football program.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Ole Miss cheerleaders now show the way.

SPURLOCK: The team was founded in 1893, becoming the first football team in the state and ranking as one of the winningest college football programs in the country. This tour has got me pumped to be a part of the Ole Miss tradition, and now it's time to make it official. Hey, how are you?

KEN CRAIN, HEAD EQUIPMENT MANAGER: How are you doing?

SPURLOCK: Good. I'm Morgan.

CRAIN: Ken Crain. I'm the equipment manager here.

SPURLOCK: So, let's get suited up.

CRAIN: All right, we'll get you shorts, t-shirts, shoes. And (inaudible) socks right here.

SPURLOCK: Yeah.

CRAIN: You can't wear that. We'll go (inaudible) Nike.

SPURLOCK: I'm wearing under armor socks right now. What about like underwear?

CRAIN: Everything Nike.

SPURLOCK: All Nike?

CRAIN: All Nike. You can really put on Nike sock. Can we change sock during the...

SPURLOCK: Yeah. Yeah. I'll take socks. Phil Knight, you're welcome.

CRAIN: Get your helmet.

SPURLOCK: Oh my gosh. That is small.

CRAIN: You want this face mask?

SPURLOCK: Something that makes a little meaner.

CRAIN: And one of these.

SPURLOCK: OK. That's good. Toughen me up some.

CRAIN: Before game day, stuff here, make sure all that fits.

SPURLOCK: I'm like the red bandit.

CRAIN: Yeah.

SPURLOCK: Oh, yeah. There we go. Boom.

CRAIN: Helmet, gloves.

SPURLOCK: Look good? How do I look?

CRAIN: Intimidating.

SPURLOCK: Let's play some football. Whew! Whew! Play some football! Ahhh! These amateur athletes have no idea what they're in for. Here comes number 90. Now, apparently I'm overdressed for practice.

CRAIN: Look at your jersey right here, number 90.

SPURLOCK: It's time to get into workout gear and get out on to the field to make some magic.

JOHN YOUNGBLOOD, STUDENT ATHLETE: Hey, man.

SPURLOCK: How is it going?

YOUNGBLOOD: John Youngblood.

SPURLOCK: John, nice to meet you.

YOUNGBLOOD: Nice to meet you.

SPURLOCK: John Youngblood is a sophomore from Trussville Alabama. After a Stellar High School football career, John was heavily scouted by top college football programs. He chose Ole Miss because he thought it would give him the best shot at playing in the NFL. So, how was it for you going from high school to college?

YOUNGBLOOD: Monumental. Once you get here, everybody was the best on their high school team and so were you. You've got to work that much harder to be the best, now that you're at the college level. Now, the dream of being an NFL player is the next step and everybody would love to be that.

SPURLOCK: So, what are your goals now going into spring practice?

YOUNGBLOOD: Hopefully I'll be able to set myself up to get into a starting position in the fall, show coach that I'm cook off the ball, I've got good work.

SPURLOCK: That's great.

YOUNGBLOOD: Yeah.

SPURLOCK: What position do you play in defense?

YOUNGBLOOD: Defensive end.

SPURLOCK: That's what I used to play. You look a little bit more like a defensive end would look. The next few days, got to be tougher a little bit.

YOUNGBLOOD: Yeah. Yeah. Get in the weight room, and get some more.

SPURLOCK: First day of football practice, the next thing I don't want to do is throw up.

YOUNGBLOOD: They're just big. They're big and fast. If I can make it through two hours, it's a victory.

SPURLOCK: Good. Try it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're late.

YOUNGBLOOD: Sorry, coach.

SPURLOCK: Apparently I'm late.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get your butt on the field!

SPURLOCK: Don't be late.

YOUNGBLOOD: We'll go walk through right here.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'll give all (inaudible) starts today with attitude and effort. What are you all looking for? (Inaudible) One, two, three!

CROWD: Teammates!

SPURLOCK: Morgan.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nice to meet you.

SPURLOCK: Nice to meet you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No more hand blocks right here.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You all right? More violence! Violence! Violence! Violence!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You get it one hand and then knock it down.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: First, first, first. Your hips!

SPURLOCK: (Inaudible) deal with the other basic.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Morgan, come on, get out of there. Hustle back. Are we working too fast for you, then catch up.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Line them up! Line them up!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: More violence!

SPURLOCK: It's amazing to be on the field right now with these remarkable athletes. All these kids were the absolute best players on their high school football teams. And the only thing almost all of them have ever dreamed about being is a professional football player.

SPURLOCK: It was like the current starting defense?

YOUNGBLOOD: Yeah. (Inaudible)

SPURLOCK: 27, what is he?

YOUNGBLOOD: He's the defensive end.

SPURLOCK: The defensive end? Same as you?

YOUNGBLOOD: Yeah.

SPURLOCK: Is that 27 that these are down for?

YOUNGBLOOD: Yeah.

SPURLOCK: When you break down the numbers, the odds that any of these athletes here today will go to the NFL are staggeringly low. In 2013, there were just over 300,000 senior high school football players in the U.S. of those players about 20,000 will play in college. And of those, only about 250 will get drafted into the NFL. That's less than 2 percent of all eligible college football players.

SPURLOCK: Oh, yeah. I'm beat up.

HUGH FREEZE, HEAD COACH: You need to really, really concentrate on getting rest and treatment. Friday morning, we put on the pads.

SPURLOCK: Head Coach Hugh Freeze is a Mississippi native and proven winner. He's just the third coach in school history to take the team to a post season bowl in each of his first two seasons.

FREEZE: One, two three. How do we do today man? We didn't beat you up today, did we?

SPURLOCK: No. You tell me. How did I do? What about John Youngblood? He's shooting to start. Do you think he has a shot?

FREEZE: Well, he's got some really, really talented kids in front of him. He's in the mix.

SPURLOCK: Yeah. What do you think it take for a player to make it into the NFL?

FREEZE: That's such a small percentage. I think we see that opportunity and one of the things I think speech volume is winning two Bowl games in two years and not having a single guy drafted. They're good football players.

SPURLOCK: Yeah.

FREEZE: But you're talking about the best of the best in the world. And, you know, the size speed ratio that these huge men have is really freakish. Phenomenal.

SPURLOCK: A couple more days coming up. Give me some advice for my next couple of days.

FREEZE: Eat good tonight. And then you get in bed. We have an early morning.

SPURLOCK: I thought I was coming to the party a little bit. I thought we have some goodtime.

FREEZE: You get ready for bed when you go home.

SPURLOCK: Yeah, goodnight sleep.

FREEZE: An hour great energy nap(ph).

SPURLOCK: I will. Thank you, coach. Appreciate it. Thank you, man.

FREEZE: All right.

SPURLOCK: First practice over. Time to go ice my bruised, middle aged ego.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SPURLOCK: You remember college, right? Yeah, neither do I. Or at least not much of it. Between napping and partying, I think I went to class a few times. Seems like for the typical American college student, not much has changed.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: On a regular day, I usually wake up around 10:00.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Try to eat breakfast.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My classes begin at 11:00.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Then I'm through for most of the day.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I get some time to relax, hang out with everybody.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And then I have a two-hour break.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Where I usually eat lunch or whatever.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My class is about 12:00.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I go home and lay on the couch for a couple of hours.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Drink and dance.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Fraternity parties.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's really my schedule.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's pretty much it.

SPURLOCK: But when you start to look closely at the lives of student athletes like John Youngblood, it paints a different picture of college life. Tell me what a typical day is like for you?

YOUNGBLOOD: Well, this morning I woke up about 6:15. Hit snooze. Woke up about ten minutes later, study. Have some breakfast. Leave my house at about 7:30.

SPURLOCK: OK.

YOUNGBLOOD: So, I can get to my campus on time. 8:00 class starts, 10:00, my other class starts. Lunch at 11:00, 12:00, finish up homework. 3:00 training room. 4:00 to 6:00, I got practice. And the right after that, grab some food. 7:00 tonight, I'll have tutor(ph). Got to do homework for about two to three hours after that. Chill about 30 minutes, and I go to bed at about midnight.

SPURLOCK: You got a half hour chill time?

YOUNGBLOOD: Yeah.

SPURLOCK: And then back up again?

YOUNGBLOOD: Yup.

SPURLOCK: That's a lot.

YOUNGBLOOD: Yeah.

SPURLOCK: Wow. What keeps you on track? What keeps you kind of focused?

YOUNGBLOOD: Just kind of realizing that you really have to balance the two things. You're a student athlete. If you don't keep your grades up, your parents are gonna be mad, your coaches are going to get on you.

SPURLOCK: And you're heading to class?

YOUNGBLOOD: Right, right. Yeah.

SPURLOCK: Well, let's go to class. Got to go. Yeah, come on, I don't want you to be late. I'm being accountable for you today. Look at that.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All right, chapter 10, page 266.

SPURLOCK: All right, brother, I'll see you later.

YOUNGBLOOD: All right, see you.

SPURLOCK: John is on a full ride football scholarship and in order to keep it, John needs to actually attend classes and keep his grade point average up.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: In the University Of Carolina just went to focused at the scandal.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A startling number of college athletes cannot read above grade school level.

SPURLOCK: Just 25 percent of UConn's men's basketball players graduate within six years.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: According to a Florida state and NCAA investigation, members of universities supplied answers to tests and type to papers for 61 athlete.

SPURLOCK: While some colleges have keep student athlete eligible by cutting corners, colleges like Ole Miss are putting a greater emphasis on academic achievement. There he is. You ready?

YOUNGBLOOD: Just right down the stairs right here.

SPURLOCK: Oh, OK.

YOUNGBLOOD: Yeah.

SPURLOCK: Hey, how are you?

YOUNGBLOOD: What's up, Angela.

SPURLOCK: I'm Morgan.

ANGELA MIRABITO, ACADEMIC COUNSELOR: Hi, I'm Angela. Nice to meet you.

SPURLOCK: Nice to meet you.

MIRABITO: I wanted to go over all your grades.

SPURLOCK: Angela Mirabito is John's academic counselor.

MIRABITO: Looks like we're sitting at B's, high C's.

SPURLOCK: Her job is to make sure John does his job, keeping his grades up so he can keep his scholarship. So, he can do what he came to Ole Miss to do. Play football.

MIRABITO: Any major concerns for any for your classes?

YOUNGBLOOD: I got to measure my test on Friday. First test kind of was a wake-up call.

MIRABITO: And what are you doing to prepare.

YOUNGBLOOD: I'm gonna go home right now for workouts and a lot after that.

MIRABITO: Good, good.

YOUNGBLOOD: Hope I'll be ready.

SPURLOCK: What are the grades that you have to keep by to be eligible.

MIRABITO: 2.0.

SPURLOCK: 2.0. So, C average?

MIRABITO: Anytime the student fall below 2.0 at Ole Miss, they go on academic probation and academic suspension dismissal type of thing.

SPURLOCK: But I think it's one of those, where there's a level of stress that comes with that too, as a student athlete. Because then it's like, I have to keep performing to make sure I have a scholarship.

MIRABITO: Hmm. Definitely.

SPURLOCK: It's a business.

MIRABITO: Yeah.

SPURLOCK: It's a business.

MIRABITO: It is.

SPURLOCK: And this business of college sports is governed by extremely strict rules about what players can and can't do. If one players get caught breaking those rules, it can be big news with big consequences.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A major sanctions against the Bay Area college basketball...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The NCAA probe of UCLA basketball player...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Bad news, Johnny Manziel will be suspended.

SPURLOCK: Most schools have compliance officers to interpret and implement these important rules. Here at Ole Miss, his name is Matt Ball. So, what can I do and can't I do while I'm here with the athletes.

MATT BALL, SENIOR ASSOCIATE ATHLETICS DIRECTOR FOR COMPLIANCE: OK. Don't do any homework for them.

SPURLOCK: Don't do their homework? BALL: Don't buy them anything.

SPURLOK: Anything?

BALL: Anything.

SPURLOCK: Piece of gum?

BALL: Piece of gum.

SPURLOCK: Pencil?

BALL: Pencil.

SPURLOCK: Paper clip.

BALL: Paper clip.

SPURLOCK: A stamp?

BALL: Don't buy them a stamp. They can get 42 cents.

SPURLOCK: OK. So, let's say there is a player who's out there or somebody, and they let somebody buy them a meal. NCAA finds out about it. What will happen?

BALL: We have to declare the student athlete ineligible and file a violation report.

SPURLOCK: These guys are in college, they don't have any money. Its like, can't they get a free meal at least?

BALL: It's not allowed and we try to educate them on that.

SPURLOCK: Can I see the book?

BALL: Sure.

SPURLOCK: The 300-page NCAA rule book determines the do's and don'ts of college sports, but the rules frequently change and the punishments are decided on a case by case basis. A small violation like a meal from a fan could require a player to donate the cost of the meal to a charity. A few hundred dollars like from a booster paying for a player's plane right home could mean sitting out a whole game. And violation of receiving a $1,000 or more say from an (inaudible) trying to rule star player could result in not playing for most of a season. But every year, there are thousands of rule violations. Some are serious.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Quarter back Terrelle Pryor suspended for trading autographs for tattoos.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Heisman trophy winner Reggie Bush, his family received hundreds of thousands of dollars from two agents.

SPURLOCK: Some are ridiculous. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Athlete received pasta in excess of the amount

allowed by the NCAA.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: WCC golfer was fined by the NCAA for washing her car on campus with the university's water and hose.

SPURLOCK: And some just fall through the cracks. I feel like if you go on eBay right now, like you'll find every top college player probably having something sold with their name on it. Can you stop that from occurring?

BALL: It's like trying holding back a leak in a dam with a finger.

SPURLOCK: Yeah. It's crazy. It's not enough to just kind of understand how much time it takes to be a student athlete. Now from a compliance standpoint with the NCAA, so many little things that you don't even think about could potentially expose you to an infraction. It was a level that I wasn't quite prepared for, but luckily, they gave me a manual that's that thick so I can read it later.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SPURLOCK: I'm here at Ole Miss this week finding out what it takes to be a college athlete. And while the grind continues for the Ole Miss Football team, I'm taking the day off to find out how superstar high school athletes might get to a division 1 school. Only now I'm focus on the other major college sport, basketball.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's go let's go.

SPURLOCK: Wake up, wake up, wake up!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's get moving.

SPURLOCK: Wake up, wake up, wake up.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's go, gentlemen, you're going to be late.

SPURLOCK: This is everyday?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Every day.

SPURLOCK: Hargrave Academy is a military prep school and home to one of the best post graduate basketball programs in the country. So, where are you from?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Brentwood Tennessee, rise on the Nashville.

SPURLOCK: When why did you come to Hargrave?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Basketball.

SPURLOCK: Top high school players spend a year here before college to increase their chances for earning a coveted division 1 scholarship. And it's something Hargrave is very good at. In the past 10 years, the school is place over 100 players in division 1 programs. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In five years.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Five years.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Five years, I see my self...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Going to the NBA.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Playing ball.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Playing basketball.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: NBA.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: NBA.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just living the dream.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In five years, I'll be in the NBA throughout.

SPURLOCK: Govari Magi(ph) is a six foot seven power forward from Albany, Georgia. Who's currently getting recruited by many top tier college basketball programs. Hargrave military discipline to academics and athletics serve as basic training for college hopefuls. When only about three percent of high school basketball players become college players, these guys need all the help they can get. Like in Ole Miss, these kids have to keep their grades up. So, after an intense practice, it's straight to the books. How are you?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah, we're good.

(INAUDIBLE)

SPURLOCK: (Inaudible) finally settling down the focus on a schoolwork. He receive a call from a coach in Seton Hall University.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ok, ok.

SPURLOCK: Even in the quite in study hall, it's nearly impossible for Govary(ph) to focus on anything for basketball.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I like your heart, I like your desire. (inaudible)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah, I feel you.

SPURLOCK: Apparently, he's a big fan of Govary(ph).

(INAUDIBLE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right.

SPURLOCK: What he's saying?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He comes for the games. Games likely sitting down and talk if it's the perfect fit for me(ph). A lot of coach (inaudible). SPURLOCK: It's awesome. It's a good sign that the call, you know.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah, we'll see. We'll see.

SPURLOCK: Why are you're trepidations. What -- where you about, place like Seton Hall.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I know how the schools are probably good schools, this is making a best of decision out of all those best schools. This, I wanna go as far, I wanna take it as far as I can take. Yeah, and I just want to (inaudible) to the best school that prevailing to do those.

SPURLOCK: Yeah. Did you know which one that is?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: God, help me with that one. God, will help me out with that one.

SPURLOCK: I hope so. Have a good night.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

SPURLOCK: It's game day here in Hargrave. One of the last of the season. And one of the last chances to impress the college scout and coaches who were watching their every move. What type of player are you looking for?

JOE POSTORINO, ASSISTANT COACH: We want to have a total, total player.

SPURLOCK: Yeah.

POSTORINO: Not just a basketball athlete but some that's concern about discipline and academics.

SPURLOCK: When guys comes to you like, attack, like what are the things that are overwhelming for them. What they hit like it it's one basketball program.

POSTORINO: You know, the competitions stuff.

SPURLOCK: Yeah.

POSTORINO: Then you add academic. You have to do it all. College basketball is not easy.

SPURLOCK: Yeah.

(STUDENTS PLAYING BASKETBALL)

(CROWD CHEERING)

SPURLOCK: And when you're watching the game what do you think?

TAYLOR NICKS, COLEGE BASKETBALL SCOUT: (inaudible) We always see the intensity. He does everything, he's got all of it.

SPURLOCK: Yeah.

(CROWD CHEERING)

NICKS: To bee like him not signed.

SPURLOCK: What they think of him right now?

NICKS: They think he's a beast.

(CROWD CHEERING)

NICKS: He gets a go ahead on his grade, seems gonna have everybody.

SPURLOCK: Govary's(ph) future is looking so bright tonight. But what if things don't go according to plan.

JONATHAN MANDELDOVE, BASKETBALL PLAYER: Coaches told me that I had a lot of potential. And going to the right school, I was under the assumptions that I can actually play in the NBA.

SPURLOCK: Jonathan Mandeldove was a top recruited player out of Hargrave in 2006. The Govary Magi(ph) of this day.

MANDELDOVE: When I was getting recruited to the University of Connecticut. I was like, yes, I'm almost there.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mandeldove at the free-throw line.

MANDELDOVE: That was it. I mean, the NBA that was a wrap. It was different when I got there. I saw that not only what I did. But there were ten of a guys that were really good and really talented just like I was.

SPURLOCK: UConn Huskies are an impressive team. When Jonathan arrived there, they'd won two NCAA championships they came close to winning the third during Jonathan's junior year. With that kind of pressure, Jonathan's academics took a back seat to basketball. And when his GPA dropped below 2.0, he was declared ineligible to play his senior year.

MANDELDOVE: I was depressed, I don't know what to do. I had a 1.87 GPA and I was wondering, like, OK, wow, I can't even graduate right now. And I was trying all the things I needed to do; I tried certain classes and I just couldn't make it. So the fall of 2010, I had to pack up my belongings and go home. And that was it.

VANESSA VIRGIL, JONATHAN'S MOM: How are you? All right.

MANDELDOVE: I'm good.

VIRGIL: Did you work today?

MANDELDOVE: I did. The girls did well this past weekend even though we lost in overtime.

Down and back, five times. Let's go. SPURLOCK: Without a college degree, Jonathan moved back to Chicago and now coaches fifth and sixth graders at William H. Brown Middle School.

MANDELDOVE: Everything in basketball is about control and movement.

Every time. I hear to this day even in these hallways, with the kids, hey I'm going to be an NBA player.

Good job, y'all. Let's wrap it up, wrap it up.

They don't understand the work that you have to put in in order to get a shot at the NBA. The game is the easy part. If you don't learn how to put in hard work in order to be successful, you're not going to be anything with this game, because there's a lot of people out there that can play ball. It's just simple as that.

I love you all, man. Let's break it down for Brown. 1, 2, 3, rah!

SPURLOCK: Jonathan stills works out every day with hopes of achieving that NBA dream. But at 27-years-old, time is running out.

VIRIGIL: Been out of school for a while.

MANDELDOVE: Right.

VIRGIL: And the thing with basketball, to go to the NBA, how long are you going to pursue the basketball thing?

MANDELDOVE: Really, I don't even have a timetable.

VIRGIL: I just wanted to know. Be concerned. How long do you pursue it? Will you plan to do it if you're 40?

MANDELDOVE: You know, I'm out there being proactive so that one day, just one little glimpse of a shot, I can give them something to say, hey, look at my skill set and my talent.

SPURLOCK: And there are thousands of players out there like Jonathan Mandeldove. If you thought the odds of becoming a professional football player were low, the odds for basketball are even lower.

In 2013, out of about 18,000 college basketball players, only 46 of them were drafted to the NBA.

VIRGIL: If I could go over and do it again, there'd be certain things that I would buckle down more on so that dream of maybe a shot at the NBA would've been greater than what it is right now.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SPURLOCK: After meeting high school dreamers and seeing how quickly their hopes could be dashed, I'm realizing just how hard my teammates at Ole Miss have to fight for their future. On top of that, these guys risk serious injury.

And today is the first day of full contact pads practice. I'll have to try my hardest to not wind up on the injured reserve list.

But before I go do some damage --

PAT JERNIGAN, HEAD FOOTBALL ATHLETIC TRAINER, OLE MISS: We got to have you take a concussion test.

SPURLOCK: A test that most schools administer to their athletes at the start of a season.

Fill in my date of birth? They're going to say you're too old to be playing. You should stop now.

JERNIGAN: The next test, word memory. It says try to remember each of these words. "Can."

SPURLOCK: Recall. They're checking your recall. I need to really concentrate.

The test is designed to map your nonconcussed brain, so that in the event of a possible concussion, the team doctors and trainers will have a baseline for comparison.

JERNIGAN: I'm going to now test your balance. Stand on your left foot.

SPURLOCK: It's like a drunk test. Not that I would know what those are like.

JERNIGAN: Close your eyes.

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS, ABC NEWS: More stories of NFL veterans diagnosed with permanent brain disease has sparked so many questions about the future of football.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The focus shifts to college football.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Number one jersey hitting a receiver so hard that the player's helmet falls off.

SPURLOCK: Out with his third concussion in three years.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Memory loss, depression, dementia.

SPURLOCK: The NCAA estimates more than 3,000 college football players a year suffer concussions, either in games or practices.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A very serious hit.

JERNIGAN: Good, good.

SPURLOCK: Say I get hit Friday. How would we know something was wrong?

JERNIGAN: If you get hit in the head and either feel dizzy, have a headache, you'd be examined on everything by our doctor and then you'd have to retake this test. And then we would kind of evaluate along the way. But it's just part of the game, unfortunately.

SPURLOCK: Yeah.

(MUSIC)

SPURLOCK: My first practice with pads. How hard could this be? I'm a protected, right?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Don't worry the damn 200-pounder (ph). Don't worry about that.

Before we get started, listen closely. Physical practice but protect your team. And always you protect your team.

SPURLOCK: First up, Rebel drills.

(SHOUTING & WHISTLES)

SPURLOCK: They're calling for superside. I think they mean me.

I'm here. But this is practice, against their own team.

(SHOUTING & WHISTLES)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One more time, superside!

SPURLOCK: Oh no, here we go again.

(SHOUTING & WHISTLES)

SPURLOCK: OK, I survived. If this doesn't wake you up in the morning, I don't know what does.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Morgan!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) next play.

SPURLOCK: OK, thank you, big guy.

(MUSIC)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Chasing the ball and get back for the next play.

You ready to play?

(SHOUTING & WHISTLES)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get me the ball! Morgan!

SPURLOCK: Number 9, he seems to be enjoying himself.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We just getting started.

SPURLOCK: It's good to be back in pads.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh man, the game changed. The game changed. SPURLOCK: Tempo, (INAUDIBLE), just picks up.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everything. This is the hardest game you need to play.

SPURLOCK: Uh-oh, I'm back in.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No drop off, no drop off.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right, you're going to be right there. It's basically power, OK? Let's go, let's go. I want some energy out here.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Morgan, you OK? You all right? You get flashes (ph)?

SPURLOCK: Got a tingle down my arm but I'm all right.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That goes away pretty fast (ph).

SPURLOCK: I'm going to feel that in the morning. And probably for many mornings after that as well.

I got clocked. I got hit so hard. I got knocked flat on my backside. Birds flying. My whole left arm just numb, instantaneously.

Football is a dangerous sport, and four years of it in college could leave some lasting effects. And without guaranteed health insurance, these guys not only risk a lifetime of health problems but the financial burden that comes with them.

(SHOUTING & WHISTLES)

SPURLOCK: Somebody got hurt. 50? Hey, number 50. Isn't that the guy who decked me?

First day of pads. Are you forcing the reality of what the game's about?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SPURLOCK: This week, I've gone back to college as a football player to explore what it takes to be a student athlete. Staying NCAA compliant --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Don't buy them anything.

SPURLOCK: Piece of gum.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Piece of gum.

SPURLOCK: Keeping up grades --

Come on, I don't want you to be late.

-- and playing some serious football. SPURLOCK: Hey man, I'm Morgan.

D.T. SHACKELFORD, FOOTBALL PLAYER: D.T. Shackelford.

SPURLOCK: Hey, nice to meet you.

And linebacker and defensive end, D.T. Shackelford, knows a thing or two about what it really takes. D.T.'s been playing football since the age of six. He's now a graduate student who received a sixth (ph) year of eligibility by the NCAA to play in 2014. He's been playing football for a really long time, and that could do some damage to your body.

What are you working on, D.T.? What's happening?

SHACKELFORD: The deep thigh bruise.

SPURLOCK: Did you get hit?

SHACKELFORD: Yeah, just like a collision, not too bad.

SPURLOCK: What was this injury?

SHACKELFORD: That's my ACL.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Your ACL's a ligament in the middle of your knee.

SHACKELFORD: (inaudible) surgery.

SPURLOCK: And when was that?

SHACKELFORD: Junior year. It took me a while to come back from that.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You don't play this game without them being injury free.

SPURLOCK: So the dream is a year from now, going into the draft?

SHACKELFORD: Going into the draft, yes, sir.

SPURLOCK: What do you think your shot is?

SHACKELFORD: I think it's pretty good. You're always gonna have doubters, always, especially with a person like me that's torn my ACL two times. But I have faith in myself and my abilities that I'm able to play at the next level.

SPURLOCK: Yeah, and that just gives you more to prove.

SHACKELFORD: Right, exactly.

SPURLOCK: D.T. and countless students like him are completely dedicated to the dream of playing professional sports, even in the face of injury and overwhelming odds.

And tonight, I'm joining D.T. and some of his teammates for dinner, one I did not pay for, I promise.

SPURLOCK: What's for dinner?

SHACKELFORD: Spaghetti, corn, salad, a little garlic toast.

SPURLOCK: Simple, quick, get the calories.

SHACKELFORD: We got practice in the morning.

SPURLOCK: At, like, five. That'll be perfect.

Would you have gotten to go to college if it wasn't for football?

SHACKELFORD: No -- I wouldn't be here. I can remember to this day, my father said, "I love y'all, but me and your mom aren't going to be able to pay for college." You knew then that --

SPURLOCK: It was up to you.

SHACKELFORD: -- it was up to you.

SPURLOCK: So how does it work with your scholarship? Like, what's the -- what's the monthly stipend that you get as a player?

SHACKELFORD: About $960.

SPURLOCK: $960. And that's to pay for anything beyond, like, your meal plan and all that stuff?

SHACKELFORD: You gotta pay your rent at the first of the month.

SPURLOCK: So you still gotta pay electric on top of that?

SHACKELFORD: (inaudible) and you got to pay for gas, cell phone. You still gotta eat.

SPURLOCK: Goes quick.

SHACKELFORD: NCAA, man. We giving you a full-ride scholarship, but I feel like you have to be some kind of adjustment.

SPURLOCK: Yeah. All right, gentlemen, time to eat. One of these fancy plates?

SHACKELFORD: Yeah, the fancy plate.

(LAUGHTER)

SPURLOCK: So, guys, since you were young, you all wanted to play pro football?

UNIDNTIFIED MALE: Yes, sir.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Trying to go to the NFL.

SPURLOCK: Do you ever think about what you'll do if that doesn't happen?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I do, but it's kind of hard to fathom.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Football has taught me, like, a lot of life lessons, too, about how not to give up, when things get hard, to push through it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Football is more than just a game. I mean, we're gonna be friends for life.

SPURLOCK: That camaraderie.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know, going through the grind. All that we can relate to.

SPURLOCK: So what do your guys thoughts on what D.T. and I were talking about, being in college and making ends meet, and everybody saying that, you know, now's the time we should start paying college athletes?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think they should. The NCAA, I mean, it's a multi-billion industry. We drawing the crowd. How much are y'all making off us? I mean, it has to be some kind of way where we're fairly compensated.

SPURLOCK: But then people say, "You are getting paid. You're getting an education."

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: At the end of the day, we're playing the game. We're tearing our knees. We're messing up our shoulders. That's us.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Getting an education, that helps, but you gotta think about it. I had two knee surgeries (ph). Who knows what type of face I might have later on life, you know what I mean? As far as walking, might need a cane. And I feel like if they can take care of people in the NFL after they retire, we should be getting taken care of also after we graduate, too.

SPURLOCK: So you guys are saying things should change. Where should that change come from? Should that change come from, like, the university? Should that change come from the NCAA? Should that change come from players? Who's the person that should lead the charge in making that happen?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: NCAA ruled all.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They rule all, but there's power in numbers.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'll tell you what. The first game of the season, if us and Boise State came together as players and decided not to play that game, it could be a ride.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It'll be crazy. We have more control than we think we have.

SPURLOCK: What do you think? UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If somebody will step up and try to lead and really force the change, then I believe it would be a bunch of people that will support that. But no one really wants to step up and be in the spotlight.

SPURLOCK: What do you have to lose?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The fear is I'm going to lose my free-ride scholarship.

SPURLOCK: Yeah, it's like I'm not going to worry about everybody else. I'm going to worry about myself.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Worry about myself.

SPURLOCK: All of a sudden, all of the NFL teams are like, "That guy seems like a trouble maker."

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah.

SPURLOCK: I don't want that guy on my team.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Once you go against the grain, then be ready for it.

SPURLOCK: That was good.

Despite their convictions that the system needs to change, the risks are too great for D.T. and his teammates to speak out. It's apparent that something's gotta give, but when will it happen, and who will lead the charge?

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SPURLOCK: It's my last day at Ole Miss. And I still have a few questions left unanswered, so I'm meeting back up with Ole Miss athletic director, Ross Bjork.

Hey, how ya doing?

ROSS BJORK, OLE MISS ATHLETIC DIRECTOR: Morgan, good to see you again.

SPURLOCK: Good to see ya.

BJORK: You all right?

SPURLOCK: Yeah, thank you. I'm a little banged up, but I'm all right. Gone through the ringer, it feels like.

BJORK: The ringer of what it's like to be a student athlete. SPURLOCK: Yeah, so you tell me, how hard is it to balance being a student athlete? Is it a student athlete, or are they more athlete students?

BJORK: You know, we preach, you know, every day that they're students first. It's a hard balance. There's no question about it.

SPURLOCK: It's almost two-thirds of your student athletes are on scholarships.

BJORK: Correct.

SPURLOCK: A lot of them come from, you know, tough backgrounds. What is the stance from Ole Miss' perspective of, should you pay players?

BJORK: The scholarship is rigid that we're allowed to give.

SPURLOCK: How are they supposed to kind of pay those bills?

BJORK: The scholarship, through the NCAA, should be redefined to at least include cost of attendance.

SPURLOCK: You guys have a $70 million budget. Just give me like a -- the simplest breakdown you can of where you guys spend that money on a yearly basis.

BJORK: We have a card that has the budget, the biggest expense item, staff salaries, benefits for our coaches and our administration.

SPURLOCK: I was gonna say, I look at these cards, and I'm like --

BJORK: It's a break-even budget.

SPURLOCK: -- if you're gonna pay an athlete, I don't know where that money's coming from.

BJORK: It's in here somehow.

SPURLOCK: Get the coach to kick it in.

BJORK: I think it's on us.

SPURLOCK: Coaches make a lot of money in the NCAA.

BJORK: So I think it's on the universities, the athletic programs --

SPURLOCK: To find it.

BJORK: Right.

But it seems that change is in the making. There are legal suits against the NCAA and top conferences, claiming scholarships don't cover the cost of attendance and might even be illegal price fixing.

And there are college football players trying to unionize. In response, the NCAA's lawyer said turning student athletes into employees and changing the relationship between students and their universities is certainly not the answer.

But there is change coming to the NCAA. They recently amended some rules, like allowing unlimited meals and snacks, so no one will go to bed or practice hungry.

And the five major conferences, including the SEC, are trying to gain more control over their spending abilities to better compensate their student athletes.

This is a big question. So, yeah, I've been -- four years, I've been -- I'm going to the NFL. Tunnel vision. Now it doesn't happen. Do you feel like players, when they leave college, after all that they've given, do you feel like they kind of get abandoned?

BJORK: I think everyone struggles with that. When that last game happens, where do I go? Who do I turn to? They're not coming back to the gym to practice. They'll come back, and they'll clean out their locker room. So I think we have to do a better job. I think we've really got to send that message, you've got to get your degree. You've got to have a fall-back plan that, if that doesn't come true, here's your opportunities. Because it is over. It's over in a flash.

SPURLOCK: That's right. Yeah.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Lord, I pray that you'd give our team wisdom to make great decisions, that we'd give each other enough love. Please keep our kids safe.

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm just glad you're all right.

SPURLOCK: I loved sports my whole life. And football is one of my favorite things on earth, and I had no idea, you know, what it takes to actually get to the next level, college, let alone the pros. When you see the amount of work that goes into being an athlete student, cause that's what they are. Athletics is first. You realize that there should be some sort of compensation for these kids where they can at least make ends meet in their lives.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How you feeling?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good.

SPURLOCK: I'm feeling good. I'm gonna feel beat up tomorrow, but I feel good today.

Yes, they're getting an incredible education. They're learning discipline that's going to be with them for the rest of their lives. They're building friendships and camaraderie that is irreplaceable.

(CROSSTALK)

SPURLOCK: But probably the best thing and the thing that I realized this week is you get to play the game you love for as long as you possibly you can, and even for a 43-year-old man, that's pretty fantastic.