by Helium01

Created on: July 11, 2009   Last Updated: July 20, 2009

LeBron James is the most versatile and athletic basketball player in the NBA and arguably one of the greatest players of all time. He is one of many players who have gone straight from the pros from high school or who left college early to play on the highest level.

From the National Basketball Association to Major League Baseball to the National Football league, kids are leaving school left and right to take their shot at the big stage and perform on the highest level. Some athletes who fall in this category include Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett, Reggie Bush, Emmitt Smith, Alex Rodriguez, and Johan Santana. These players forwent the college experience to live their dream as a professional athlete.

Many of these players came from poor economic situations and left for the opportunity to live their dream and make lots of money. However, not everybody can be a LeBron or Kobe. What if one of these players suffers a career-ending injury early in their career? They have nothing to fall back on. No college degree, no higher education; some even lack a high school diploma.

Should you skip college to pursue a career as a professional? Students see LeBron and Kobe going from the high school graduation stage to NBA Draft stage and think to themselves, "I can do that." The reality of it is a LeBron and Kobe only come around once in a blue moon. And, even these athletes are protecting themselves.

After seven seasons as the most dominant player in the NBA, Shaquille O'Neal went back to LSU to earn his Bachelor's Degree in General Studies. On his 29th birthday, Ray Lewis went back to study at the University of Maryland and earned his degree. These men have proven that obtaining a college degree while competing as a professional athlete is possible.

If you are serious about becoming a professional athlete and have the (proven) skills to compete, there may be some advantage to delaying a college career until after you have developed a professional career.

You can always get a college diploma when you are in your forties, but there are few teams on the NBA that will want to sign a 40-year-old college graduate who has not played basketball for twenty years. The oldest player in NFL history was George Blanda at 48, while the oldest college graduate, Nola Ochs, was 95.

Remember, however, that the odds of making it in the professional leagues are very slim. Unless you are a remarkable talent, it is probably safer to set aside any aspirations of skipping college to become a professional athlete. Go to college, get an education, and then pursue your dream. At least you will have something to fall back on should your star fail to rise.

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