Brantley Watson: Athletes must make smart decisions

I thought disappointing and inexplicable off-the-field decisions were only made by Michael Vick and members of the Cincinnati Bengals.

Then, in January of this year, I heard the news about Oregon quarterback Jeremiah Masoli, and how he was convicted of stealing laptops from a fraternity house near the University of Oregon. Oregon coach Chip Kelly then suspended Masoli for the upcoming season.

That wasn’t too smart on Masoli’s part, especially coming off the magnificent campaign he had in 2009. Masoli would have been a front-running Heisman Trophy candidate.

But despite his indiscretions, I never want to see guys ruin their lives over one mistake. So I brushed it off.

Nearly six months later, Masoli was arrested for possession of marijuana and driving with a suspended license, forcing Kelly to banish Masoli from the Ducks’ football program for good, and making me wonder, what was he thinking?

Now my attention has been diverted to a group of three young men, this time at my own university.

If you don’t follow UCLA football and haven’t heard the news, coach Rick Neuheisel recently dismissed three incoming freshmen from the team ““ Joshua Shirley, Shaquille Richardson and Paul Richardson ““ after they were arrested on June 23 by university police and charged with suspicion of felony theft.

Gentlemen…what were you thinking?

When I heard this story, I can honestly say that I was flabbergasted for a number of reasons, the first being that UCLA is one of the new “it” universities to play football at.

Neuheisel’s team has shown improvement in each year since his arrival. And with the Pac-10 on the decline ““ due to USC’s recent sanctions and a below-average 2009 season ““ a lot of kids are clamoring to become Bruins. In fact, Shirley, a linebacker from Fontana’s Henry J. Kaiser High School, toyed with the idea of going to USC before deciding on UCLA, becoming one of several recruits over the past few years to choose the Bruins over the Trojans.

Unfortunately, the Trojans are probably laughing right now.

The second reason for my exasperation is the negative press this issue is receiving during a time of positive press. What I mean is that even though this is a singular instance of misconduct, negative press involving the law, arrests and posting bail never looks good on a school’s resume. You just don’t want recruits or their parents to see these sorts of events occur.

And with the Pac-10 receiving a load of media attention over the summer due to its recent expansion ““ adding Utah and Colorado to the mix ““ recruits have become more coveted. No team can afford to have any blemishes on its background as the recruiting wars are bound to become more intense.

Lastly, my final source of anguish and anxiety comes from fear.

Plain, unadulterated fear.

I’m scared of the trend I see being created. I’m scared that these young athletes are beginning to regard themselves as above the law.

But most of all, I’m scared that three young minorities might not be able to live out their dreams.

Could I be overreacting? Possibly; Shirley and the two Richardsons have technically been dismissed from the program and are unable to attend school in the fall, but may be able to enroll for winter quarter according to Neuheisel, who called the boys’ actions a “terrible mistake” and a “lapse in judgment.” And who knows, this indiscretion could turn out to be a blessing in disguise by giving these three boys some perspective on just how important it is to make good decisions in life, especially when you’re in the public eye.

This is me being optimistic.

But from what I’ve seen with Masoli, from what I’ve seen with Vick, from what I’ve seen with a host of other minority athletes, the first ill-fated step is more than likely the first in a line of ill-fated steps.

It’s possible that these three young men simply did not really weigh the consequences of stealing that purse. But who’s to say they will weigh the consequences the next time they are in a tempting situation?

They have been kicked out of summer school and are unable to enroll this upcoming fall quarter, which means they won’t be playing football. Without football, what will keep them out of trouble?

Can you think of a worse possible way to begin your college career?

I do not know these young men from Adam, but what I do know is that a scary trend is building within our young minority athletes, a trend that is growing with each and every passing year.

I hope that this is a wake-up call for Shirley and the Richardsons.

Young black men can’t afford to keep dreaming.