---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I talk to student-athletes. I try to get…"
description: "\"I talk to student-athletes. I try to get them to remember that they're not just athletes, but student-athletes. You need to get an education, keep your..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f2/earl-campbell-22219_athlete_i-talk-to-student-athletes-i-try-to-get_325819.jpg"
---

#  I talk to student-athletes. I try to get them to remember…

![“I talk to student-athletes. I try to get them to remember that they're not just athletes, but student-athletes. You need to get an education, keep your hands clean and try to represent the university.” quote by Earl Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f2/earl-campbell-22219_athlete_i-talk-to-student-athletes-i-try-to-get_325819.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f2/earl-campbell-22219_athlete_i-talk-to-student-athletes-i-try-to-get_325819.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f2/earl-campbell-22219_athlete_i-talk-to-student-athletes-i-try-to-get_325819.jpg)

> “I talk to student-athletes. I try to get them to remember that they're not just athletes, but student-athletes. You need to get an education, keep your hands clean and try to represent the university.”

[Earl Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/earl-campbell/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Emphasizes balancing athletics with academics and personal conduct for student-athletes.

**In simple terms:** Athletes must also be students and role models.

Key Takeaway

Prioritize education and integrity.

Themes

education integrity dual identity role model

Mood

inspirational serious

Type

motivational advice

When to use this quote

- college recruitment
- team meetings
- academic advising
- public speaking

Key Concepts

student-athlete identity responsibility university representation

Questions to Reflect On

- How can universities support student-athlete academic success?
- What habits reinforce clean personal conduct?

A Different Perspective

Balancing sports and studies can be challenging under pressure.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Athlete](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/athlete/) [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Student athlete](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/student-athlete/) [Student Athletes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/student-athletes/) [Students](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/students/) [University](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/university/)

## Related quotes

> [I try to get them to remember that they're not just athletes, but student-athletes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/earl-campbell/i-try-to-get-them-to-remember-that-they-re-not-just-athletes-but/)

[Earl Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/earl-campbell/)

> [Many athletes, student-athletes in particular, really look to their coach as a mentor, someone that can help guide them. And I think that role…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-cardona/many-athletes-student-athletes-in-particular-really-look-to-their/)

[Miguel Cardona](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-cardona/)

> [By taking a business-like approach, the student-athletes and their parents will be in control of the outcome and that's how it should be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-kennedy/by-taking-a-business-like-approach-the-student-athletes-and-their/)

[Billy Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-kennedy/)

> [The APR provides a real-time snapshot of what is happening with our individual student-athletes today. However, it does not address some of the realities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deloss-dodds/the-apr-provides-a-real-time-snapshot-of-what-is-happening-with-our/)

DeLoss Dodds

> [I want to keep coaching as long as I can. I love teaching and working with student athletes and I love being at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-summitt/i-want-to-keep-coaching-as-long-as-i-can-i-love-teaching-and-working/)

[Pat Summitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-summitt/)

> [What I tell student athletes is first of all, you've made good choices this far in order to be able to be in college…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/condoleezza-rice/what-i-tell-student-athletes-is-first-of-all-you-ve-made-good-choices/)

[Condoleezza Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/condoleezza-rice/)

> [I have long been one of those tedious people who rails against the coronation of 'student-athletes.' I have heard the argument that big-time athletics…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-orlean/i-have-long-been-one-of-those-tedious-people-who-rails-against-the/)

[Susan Orlean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-orlean/)

> [Never underestimate your players; they can do it with enough game-like practice. Coaches must put more emphasis in practice and in life on making…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kessel/never-underestimate-your-players-they-can-do-it-with-enough-game-like/)

[John Kessel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kessel/)

> [The 7 Practices of Exceptional Student Athletes is an excellent book for student athletes to understand what it takes to be successful. It covers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-ford/the-7-practices-of-exceptional-student-athletes-is-an-excellent-book/)

Danny Ford

> [Universities want to recruit the students that they believe will best represent the university while in school and beyond. Students with a robust social…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-jo-martin/universities-want-to-recruit-the-students-that-they-believe-will-best/)

[Amy Jo Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-jo-martin/)

> [I think athletes need to be better at portraying themselves and promoting themselves. You can't just sit and wait for the media to come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tanni-grey-thompson/i-think-athletes-need-to-be-better-at-portraying-themselves-and/)

[Tanni Grey-Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tanni-grey-thompson/)

> [All athletes need three things: commitment, discipline and hard work. Without that it's hard to keep running.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haile-gebrselassie/all-athletes-need-three-things-commitment-discipline-and-hard-work/)

[Haile Gebrselassie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haile-gebrselassie/)

> [“You tend to forget the good things when caught in an emotional raincloud of defeat anyway. That's why all athletes need a regular reality…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-kinley/you-tend-to-forget-the-good-things-when-caught-in-an-emotional/)

[Jeff Kinley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-kinley/)

> [I think the American sports culture has the idea that professional athletes need so much, like flying private planes, which obviously we don't, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christen-press/i-think-the-american-sports-culture-has-the-idea-that-professional/)

[Christen Press](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christen-press/)

> [A lot is expected from athletes but we need good coaches as well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milkha-singh/a-lot-is-expected-from-athletes-but-we-need-good-coaches-as-well/)

[Milkha Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milkha-singh/)

## More by Earl Campbell

> [I always knew that I wanted to do something in business and I prepared myself for that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/earl-campbell/i-always-knew-that-i-wanted-to-do-something-in-business-and-i/)

[Earl Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/earl-campbell/)

> [I think one game we played the Oakland Raiders and Jack Tatum and I had an accident on the one-yard line. The only thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/earl-campbell/i-think-one-game-we-played-the-oakland-raiders-and-jack-tatum-and-i/)

[Earl Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/earl-campbell/)

> [I learned from different guys I played with, too. The key was probably three people: The good Lord, the offensive linemen I played with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/earl-campbell/i-learned-from-different-guys-i-played-with-too-the-key-was-probably/)

[Earl Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/earl-campbell/)

> [I have a company called Earl Campbell Foods. I got into the meat business in 1991.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/earl-campbell/i-have-a-company-called-earl-campbell-foods-i-got-into-the-meat/)

[Earl Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/earl-campbell/)

> [Sometimes I pay for it, With the way I walk now, the things I did to my body wasn't supposed to be done. At…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/earl-campbell/sometimes-i-pay-for-it-with-the-way-i-walk-now-the-things-i-did-to-my/)

[Earl Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/earl-campbell/)

> [I'd go on record and say yes, I think it's time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/earl-campbell/i-d-go-on-record-and-say-yes-i-think-it-s-time/)

[Earl Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/earl-campbell/)

> [My running style was kind of just head-on, because I couldn't dance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/earl-campbell/my-running-style-was-kind-of-just-head-on-because-i-couldn-t-dance/)

[Earl Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/earl-campbell/)

> [Everything in life has a price on it - there ain't a damn thing free in America, and football has got a price on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/earl-campbell/everything-in-life-has-a-price-on-it-there-ain-t-a-damn-thing-free-in/)

[Earl Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/earl-campbell/)

> [There are two things panic patients hate to do. They hate to take medication - and they hate to go to doctors. They hate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/earl-campbell/there-are-two-things-panic-patients-hate-to-do-they-hate-to-take/)

[Earl Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/earl-campbell/)

> [First of all, I'm so glad that the city of Houston has a football team again. They have such great fans. I'm really happy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/earl-campbell/first-of-all-i-m-so-glad-that-the-city-of-houston-has-a-football-team/)

[Earl Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/earl-campbell/)

> [I have a wife and two boys. One is 18 and the other is 14. The 18-year old is getting ready for college next…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/earl-campbell/i-have-a-wife-and-two-boys-one-is-18-and-the-other-is-14-the-18-year/)

[Earl Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/earl-campbell/)

> [Pittsburgh was a great team. Coach Noll, Joe Greene, Jack Lambert, L.C. Greenwood and all those guys did a great job. That's the team…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/earl-campbell/pittsburgh-was-a-great-team-coach-noll-joe-greene-jack-lambert-l-c/)

[Earl Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/earl-campbell/)

> [Somebody will always break your records. It is how you live that counts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/earl-campbell/somebody-will-always-break-your-records-it-is-how-you-live-that-counts/)

[Earl Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/earl-campbell/)

> [I try to get them to remember that they're not just athletes, but student-athletes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/earl-campbell/i-try-to-get-them-to-remember-that-they-re-not-just-athletes-but/)

[Earl Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/earl-campbell/)

> [I played football with my whole body - My hands, my head, my face. I did it all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/earl-campbell/i-played-football-with-my-whole-body-my-hands-my-head-my-face-i-did/)

[Earl Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/earl-campbell/)

[Explore all 28 Earl Campbell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/earl-campbell/)

## More Athlete quotes

> [As a professional athlete and someone who has spent almost his entire life in boxing, not a day goes by when I don't think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-de-la-hoya/as-a-professional-athlete-and-someone-who-has-spent-almost-his-entire/)

[Oscar De La Hoya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-de-la-hoya/)

> [I'd noticed him watching me for a year or so, especially when we'd play games where there was running or jumping.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-owens/i-d-noticed-him-watching-me-for-a-year-or-so-especially-when-we-d/)

[Jesse Owens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-owens/)

> [I have no physical genius about me. I can't dribble a ball and run at the same time, I can't do lay-ups - I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-mullins/i-have-no-physical-genius-about-me-i-can-t-dribble-a-ball-and-run-at/)

[Rich Mullins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-mullins/)

> [I think cricket is there in Usain Bolt's blood. Since I got to watch from close quarters, it was amazing to see him run…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harbhajan-singh/i-think-cricket-is-there-in-usain-bolt-s-blood-since-i-got-to-watch/)

[Harbhajan Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harbhajan-singh/)

> [I think what bothers us about fighting sports isn't the damage to the athlete but the fact that you win by doing more harm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-gottschall/i-think-what-bothers-us-about-fighting-sports-isn-t-the-damage-to-the/)

[Jonathan Gottschall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-gottschall/)

> [Athletes at all ages are bigger and stronger than ever before. And they are being encouraged - sometimes even incentivized, as we recently learned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naveen-jain/athletes-at-all-ages-are-bigger-and-stronger-than-ever-before-and/)

[Naveen Jain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naveen-jain/)

> [I think life is full of challenges and problems. I don't believe that anyone is perfect. We all make mistakes. It's not a bed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-mansell/i-think-life-is-full-of-challenges-and-problems-i-don-t-believe-that/)

[Nigel Mansell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-mansell/)

> [I'd never been much of an athlete, due to a physical condition I'd had since birth (unathleticism). Perhaps if there were a sport centered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colson-whitehead/i-d-never-been-much-of-an-athlete-due-to-a-physical-condition-i-d-had/)

[Colson Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colson-whitehead/)

> [I didn't set out to be the first openly gay athlete playing in a major American team sport.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-collins/i-didn-t-set-out-to-be-the-first-openly-gay-athlete-playing-in-a/)

[Jason Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-collins/)

> [I like to push characters to extremes so they have to make really tough decisions and there is no life more extreme than that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-cleave/i-like-to-push-characters-to-extremes-so-they-have-to-make-really/)

[Chris Cleave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-cleave/)

> [I don't want to say names, but there are certain companies I won't work with because of previous people they've worked with. I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-morgan/i-don-t-want-to-say-names-but-there-are-certain-companies-i-won-t/)

[Alex Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-morgan/)

> [We are like highly trained athletes, who never run a race.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-samuelson/we-are-like-highly-trained-athletes-who-never-run-a-race/)

[Paul Samuelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-samuelson/)

> [There are only two options regarding commitment; you’re either in or you’re out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-riley/there-are-only-two-options-regarding-commitment-you-re-either-in-or/)

[Pat Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-riley/)

> [I didn't aspire to be a good sport; 'champion' was good enough for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-perry/i-didn-t-aspire-to-be-a-good-sport-champion-was-good-enough-for-me/)

[Fred Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-perry/)

> [Treat yourself like an overweight, out of shape person and that's what you will be. Why not train and treat yourself like an athlete?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chalene-johnson/treat-yourself-like-an-overweight-out-of-shape-person-and-that-s-what/)

[Chalene Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chalene-johnson/)

[Browse all 2,455 Athlete quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/athlete/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I talk to student-athletes. I try to get them to remember that they're not just athletes, but student-athletes. You need to get an education, keep your hands clean and try to represent the university.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Earl Campbell"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/earl-campbell/i-talk-to-student-athletes-i-try-to-get-them-to-remember-that-they-re/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Athlete"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/earl-campbell/i-talk-to-student-athletes-i-try-to-get-them-to-remember-that-they-re/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f2/earl-campbell-22219_athlete_i-talk-to-student-athletes-i-try-to-get_325819.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f2/earl-campbell-22219_athlete_i-talk-to-student-athletes-i-try-to-get_325819.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f2/earl-campbell-22219_athlete_i-talk-to-student-athletes-i-try-to-get_325819.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I talk to student-athletes. I try to get them to remember that they're not just athletes, but…” — Earl Campbell",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Earl Campbell",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/earl-campbell/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I talk to student-athletes. I try...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/earl-campbell/i-talk-to-student-athletes-i-try-to-get-them-to-remember-that-they-re/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/earl-campbell/i-talk-to-student-athletes-i-try-to-get-them-to-remember-that-they-re/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
