Tom Malone speech to Scholar-Athlete banquet

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Tom Malone was recently the guest speaker at the National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete Banquet. He was introduced by former USC wide receiver John Jackson. Here is the text from that speech.

"Thank you John Jackson for such a kind introduction. Would also like to thank Mr. Bob Burt and the Riverside County Charter of the National Football Foundation for inviting me to speak tonight.

First of all I want to congratulate each of these 20 scholar athletes who are here being honored tonight. I know first-hand the sacrifice, dedication and hard work that was required for you to end up sitting where you are right now. Each one of you should be very proud of this outstanding accomplishment as it is something you have earned and that can never be taken away. Your name will forever be enshrined as a High School Scholar Athlete in the College Football Hall of Fame, leaving a lasting testament of your commitment to academic and athletic excellence.

I also want to congratulate all of the parents of these men as well. These Scholar-Athletes would not be in this position without your love and guidance. I know how much my parents helped me through high school and how much I needed their support, and I am sure the same can be said of each of you.

I would like to address my remarks tonight directly to you student athletes. In many ways, this evening represents the completion of your high school football career and at the same time sets up the beginning to the next step in your life. The fact that you are here is proof that you are headed in the right direction, but you cannot let it end here. You have to take advantage of the opportunities that you have set yourselves up with. These opportunities aren't just football, it is the opportunity you have given yourselves to continue your education. The chance to earn a college degree will be more valuable than anything else in your life. It will set up your entire future and the experiences you will have at college will be like nothing else you have experienced.

These next steps will not be easy and you will have to rededicate yourself in order to succeed. Three years ago I was sitting exactly where you are sitting right now. I was an NFF Scholar-Athlete from Temescal Canyon High School. I was challenged to work hard at both football and school, and was fortunate to find success in both.

I was fortunate enough never receive anything lower than an A in high school. I was able to help other players and friends with schoolwork and studying whenever asked. I thought I had mastered every challenge in high school and that the hardest part of my life was in the past.

I graduated a semester early to enroll at USC for the spring semester on a football scholarship. When I started classes I was in for a big awakening. I found myself surrounded by bright students, most smarter than I was. I was used to earning A’s and being at the top of my class; now I was struggling just to pass some of my classes. Now I was the one looking for help.

I never realized what a big jump academically it was to go from high school to college. From an athletic standpoint I knew how much faster the game of football would be in college as compared to high school; and how much bigger and stronger the players would be, and how much harder I would have to work to be competitive on the field. But I didn’t know how much harder it would be academically. I didn’t appreciate how much faster school would move and how much smarter the other students I had to compete with for grades would be. Deep down I thought that because I was an athlete the professors would love me and help me out, and I really thought that I would be able to get through school without much of a problem. I expected that it would be much the same as high school, with the same amount of work and the same types of teachers. That was not the case.

College is definitely manageable but it is very different. It took me awhile to figure out how to excel in college. The biggest difference for me was that teachers don't personally care about individual students in the way most high school teachers do. You are just a name and ID number on their grade sheets — not a face or real person. One of the best ways to get ahead
in college is to make yourself known to your professors. It really helps if you sit in the front of class where the teacher can see you. Visit your professors during their office hours and build a relationship with them. This way they will know that you care about school and will be more willing to help you.

Don’t be afraid to make a mistake or to answer a question wrong. Participate fully in class and don’t be intimidated. Take advantage of every study or tutor session. Just like on the football field, you will need to compete in the classroom to win, so take every edge you can get.

Another big adjustment with college is time management and commitment to school. No one makes you go to class in college. There isn't detention or suspension for missing classes, there are no progress reports, no one will call your parents if you’re doing poorly and there won’t be any parent teacher conferences. It is up to you as a student to go to all your classes
and do all of your assigned work. The way you approach studying is also different. In high school if you do all your homework and study just a little for test you can do well. In college, for the most part, there is no homework, just research papers and tests. The tests can be worth 40 or 50 % of your grade so it is important that you attend class, take good notes, and do all your readings. Many classes are graded on a curve and you are competing against classmates. There were many times I scored over 90% on a test and only received a B as a resulted of the curve.

Besides classes and studying, there are other time management issues. There is more of a social life that you have to deal with and you no longer have a curfew. This new freedom is enjoyable but if you do not use self-discipline and restraint, it can mean failure rather than success. If you are playing football in addition to attending classes, there is also a time commitment for that. During the season, USC players have weight lifting at 6:30 am, then attend classes, and then report back to the football offices by 1:30 in the afternoon for meetings. Next comes a two or three hour practice, sometimes followed by even more meetings. That means not getting home from practice until 7 or 8 every night. Then it’s time to study or write papers. Many nights that means getting to bed at midnight or after, only to get up a few hours later to do it all over again. On top of that we have to miss classes to travel, so we need to learn to study when tired and on the road. My high school football experience was invaluable in making this transition. The lessons of hard work, dedication, commitment and refusing to give in to adversity, served me well.

Playing football while attending college is not easy but its well worth all the effort. You make lifetime friends and have the best experiences of your life. I am proud to say that I will graduate this May. I was named an All-American following my sophomore year, but looking back it has been much harder for me to do what it takes to graduate than it was to do well in
football. It has taken me a long time to realize how important a college degree is, but I know now. Once I have that degree in hand I will be set for life, regardless of what happens in my football career. The same will be true for each of you.

If any of you do play football on the next level there is a lot of pressure to succeed and it is expected that you succeed. And because you did well academically in high school you will also be expected to do the same in college. It can be very tough to handle this pressure, but this is what makes you stronger.

The last thing that I want to talk to you about are the responsibilities that come with being in your position as an elite athlete. There is a lot of discussion today about athletes as role models. Many athletes feel it is not their responsibility to be a positive role model. Personally, I think that is the wrong way to look at the issue. Being a role-model as an athlete is not a matter of obligation, but rather one of great opportunity.

Each of you scholar athletes, like myself, have the chance to affect the lives of those around us by our example. As high school football standouts, you are already being looked up to as role models whether you realize it or not.

When I was a high school freshman I remember watching a another NFF Scholar-Athlete speak at his graduation. His name is Jason Fife and he was our star quarterback who had earned a scholarship to the University of Oregon and was a Temescal Canyon Valedictorian. I was very impressed with his accomplishments and I remember telling my parents right then that I was
going to accomplish the same thing one day. Jason was a major motivation and inspiration for me.

Three years later I too was a Temescal Canyon Valedictorian and a football scholarship recipient. Jason is a friend of mine, but he had no idea that I was at his graduation or that he inspired me to succeed. So always remember that people are looking to you and will follow what you do. You never know when someone is watching you, or when you will possibly be an inspiration in someone's life.

The further along you go and the more you succeed, the more people will look up to you. It is important that you carry yourself right, always work hard and be grateful for the opportunity to be a role model whenever it arises.

Each of you as scholar-athletes are in the spotlight today. I challenge you to go back to your teammates and classmates, especially those who are freshmen or underclassmen, and to share your experience of tonight’s banquet. Many of those people already look up to you because of your athletic and academic accomplishments. Use this opportunity to talk to them about the importance of doing their best in high school and beyond. And just as you encourage others to make that commitment, make a commitment to yourself to continue your own education and growth. Each of you have accomplished much thus far, but there is so much more to come.

Good luck and thank you."