Jace LaBuda

As my football career came to an end last weekend — and with it my time in this program and in college football — I felt like I needed to share my thoughts on where the game is today. My path was far from normal; not many guys play seven years. But even with my unique journey, it’s clear that the current landscape of college football is becoming worse for the game. Somewhere along the way, we lost what made this sport special. We lost sight of the TEAM. Too many players are focused only on what’s best for them, not what’s best for the people in the locker room next to them. I’ve played with a lot of great teammates, but even then, it felt like some always had one foot out the door — ready to leave the moment something didn’t go their way. The transfer portal made it way too easy to run from adversity instead of growing through it. I can’t explain how many lessons I learned from not getting what I wanted right away. From being humbled. From having to earn everything the hard way. Every decision I made, I tried to make for the team. For something bigger than myself. College athletics is supposed to shape you into a leader — someone who can handle adversity, communicate with respect, and go into the world a better, stronger version of who you were when you came in. But the new age of college sports has kids leaving at the first sign of trouble, talking to coaches however they want, and expecting everything to go their way. I’m all for players having a voice and choosing what’s best for their future. But in what part of life do you get everything exactly how you want it? That’s not real. Yet college athletics has created that illusion, and it’s hurting a game that has saved so many lives — including kids from poverty and tough situations who needed football to survive. For me, getting an education meant everything. I didn’t grow up with much. Football was my only ticket to pay for school. Not everyone’s situation is the same, and I get that. But I’ll always believe that the team, the struggle, and the lessons learned are what make this sport powerful. And I hope someday we find our way back to that. #CollegeFootball #team