1st Down Magazine

1ST
Down
Grind without A Dime
Why college athletes should recieve payment for play on the field.
Football program
of the
Month
A look into the Dynasty Nick Saban
has brought to Alabama
Has the College football Playoffs
been sucessful after 2 years?
Top Recruits for the
class of 2016
March 2016

For those in Game
Situations

1St Down
M A G A Z I N E
Editor
Kinard Lisbon
Newberry College- Newberry, SC
Graphic Design Major
Email: Kinard.lisbon@newberry.edu
Phone: 803-316-9326
2

Letter from the Editor
Greeting to the wonderful readers of this 1st Down
Magazine,
I am very glad that you have took the time out to
read our magazine about the exicting things that
are happing around college football. I would like
to ask that you take the time read and get to know
the layout of the magazine.
The main concept of this magazine is to keep all
the people who are followers of college sports, in
particular football, up to date on things that are
going on around the NCAA.
We are very thankful for all those who have
bought and are loyal consumers for our magazine.
So when ever your arounnd, pick up an issue of 1st
DOWN!!!!!!
With Special Thanks,
Kinard Lisbon, Editor
3

Guard your body
with Armour

It Fuels
You

Table of
Contents
Player of The Month
15
Coach Of The Month
20
2016 Top
Recriuts 21
Successs of the College
Football Playoffs 25
17
Roll Saban Roll
Nick Saban has brought
an unmatchable nature
of play the Alabama
Crimson Tide.
9
Grind Without A Dime
The untold story of the
hectic lives of college
athletes and not beign
paid for there services.
6

Uni’s of the Month
OREGON
Ducks
“Why does Nike love
Oregon so much?
So much creativity
here, it’s awesome.”
-Tyler
Oregin represents the gold- standard in merging science and innovation
with athletic preformance, pushing boundaries of uniform style and
function.
7

Your daily helping of Sports

9
NCAA

Grind Without
A Dime
continue o to next page
10

11
There has been major discussion
recently if college athletes
should or shouldn’t be paid
while they are in school. The
first thing opponents say is, “They’re already
getting a scholarship! That’s more
than anybody else! Don’t be greedy!”
Fine, let’s not be greedy and look at how
much a scholarship is actually worth. On
average, a full Division 1 scholarship is
$25,000 per year.
“That’s $100,000 over four years!”
Yes it is, but most athletes don’t last at
a school for the whole four years. Once
you get a sport involved, there are politics,
injuries, and a call to the office to
tell the player, “Thanks, but we don’t
need you on this team anymore.” Many
players will get a scholarship for a
year or two, then transfer to a different
school which turns out to be a better
situation.
A $25,000 scholarship may seem like a
lot of money, but it really only covers
the basics. It covers thousands of dollars
in mysterious, unknown university
fees, tuition, housing, a meal-plan and
multiple hundred-dollar textbooks.
Some players, if they come from a
low-income household, get a few hundred
dollars each semester from Pell
Grants which enables them to buy

chicken soup instead of chicken-flavored
ramen.
Contrary to what all the opponents believe,
being an athlete is a full-time job.
On a typical day, a player will wake up
before classes, get a lift or conditioning
session in, go to class until 3 or 4 p.m., go
to practice, go to mandatory study hall,
and then finish homework or study for a
test.
The point of this is that a scholarship
doesn’t equal cash in a player’s pocket.
Even with any type of scholarship, college
athletes are typically dead broke.
But how much do the top NCAA executives
make? About $1 million per
year.
For a little extra money to see a movie
or go out to dinner once a week, my
freshman roommate worked a job at the
university, earning about $7/hour. He
would work his butt off all day, with two
or sometimes three basketball training
sessions, plus classes and homework, and
go to that job for a few
hours late at night. He
would come back exhausted,
but he needed
whatever money they
would pay him.
However, once the season
started up, he couldn’t work that
job anymore. We were on the road all
the time, even gone for two straight
weeks at one point. The teachers let us
do our work from the road, but the job
wasn’t going to pay you just because you
were playing basketball on a road trip.
The team gave us meal money (about
$7 per meal) so we could get chips and
condiments with our sandwiches, but
anything else was considered an NCAA
violation.
“Being a student-athlete
is a full-time job,
it’s not easy”
Jabari Howard, UC Davis
Who else makes money off these
near-professional level athletes?
First, their own coaches. Many coaches
earn at least $100,000
per year to coach one
of the major sports like
baseball, basketball,
or football at a school.
These coaches will
receive bonuses for
getting to the playoffs,
winning championships, or breaking
school records. You know what athletes
receive as a bonus? Nothing.
Second is the NCAA. Recently, the
NCAA and CBS signed a $10.8 billion
television agreement over 14
years. The NCAA is also considered a
non-profit company.
Third, the athletic programs. Universities
bring in hundreds of thousands
or even millions of dollars to their
12

13

athletic programs each year. Through
donations, ticket sales, media rights, advertising,
and anything else with a price
tag, these athletes are symbols for their
school and their program. If a school
makes a huge scientific achievement,
they will be in the newspaper for a few
days. The athletic teams, however, are in
the newspaper the entire year.
The flip side of this is that not all sports
teams are profitable. For example, some
less popular teams like swimming, tennis,
or volleyball don’t earn the university
much money, and the bigger sports
like basketball and football make up for
the lost revenue. So why would we pay
athletes if entire teams are struggling to
survive?
We would pay athletes because when
President Theodore Roosevelt helped
create the NCAA in 1906, he had no idea
what it would grow into. At first, it was a
great place to watch athletes play sports
while making sure the rules were being
followed. But now in the 21st century,
the NCAA is a billion dollar company.
Why hasn’t anything changed? Because
the decision makers have the mentality
of, “This is the way it’s always been.”
They’re scared to make amendments,
even when it’s necessary.
I’m not saying we should be paying athletes
$5,000 or even $10,000 per semester.
If each athlete got $2,000 paid over
the course of the semester, this would
give them some spending cash and an
opportunity to start managing their
money. Most athletic programs can’t
afford to pay athletes on their own, so
the NCAA and their executives need to
figure out a way to start compensating
their golden geese.
Athletes earn their schools hundreds
of thousands of dollars, increase enrollment,
and if they do well, provide
a recruiting piece for generations. Top
NCAA executives are getting $1 million
per year while an athlete can’t earn
$50 from signing a few autographs.
Let’s open our eyes to what’s really
going on. The NCAA “prevents student-athletes
from allowing their likeness
to be used for promotional purposes.”
There’s only one thing I can say to this:
Why?
-Tyson Hartnett, Huffington Post
14

Athlete of the Month
Deshaun Watson
In 2015, Watson led the Clemson football
team to an undefeated 12-0 regular season
and a #1 ranking in the polls. After
the regular season, the Tigers qualified
for the ACC Championship Game, facing
off against #10 North Carolina. Watson
threw for 289 yards and 3 touchdowns
and ran for 131 yards and 2 touchdowns
in the game to lead the Tigers to a 45-37
win over the Tar Heels, winning the ACC
Championship for the first time since
2011. Watson was also named the ACC
Championship Game MVP for his performance.
The Tigers were selected to
participate in the 2016 College Football
Playoff and were selected as the #1 seed.
The Tigers faced off against the #4 seed
Oklahoma Sooners in the Orange Bowl,
one of the two CFP Semifinal games. Watson
threw for 189 yards and a touchdown
and ran for 145 yards and a touchdown
as he led Clemson to a 37-17 victory
over the Sooners. Watson was named the
2015 Orange Bowl Offensive MVP for his
performance. With the win, the Tigers
advanced to the 2016 College Football
Playoff National Championship game
against #2 Alabama Crimson Tide. Watson
threw for 405 yards and four touchdowns
in the game and ran for another 73 yards
on the ground in the losing effort. Watson
surpassed the 4,000 yard passing mark in
this game.
15

17
The Dynasty Keeps

Roll
Tide
ing
Nick Saban is one of the best coaches in college
football, having won three BCS championships
with Alabama in 2009, 2011, and 2012, and another
with LSU in 2003.
He’s more successful than most coaches, in part,
because he doesn’t think like the competition. His
guiding philosophy is known as The Process, a way of
breaking down a difficult situation into manageable
pieces.
In new book “The Obstacle Is the Way,” an exploration
of ancient Greek Stoicism put into practice by
leaders ranging from Marcus Aurelius to Steve Jobs,
writer Ryan Holiday says that anyone can take advantage
of Coach Saban’s process. As Saban tells his
assistants and players:
“Don’t think about winning the SEC Championship.
Don’t think about the national championship. Think
about what you needed
to do in this drill, on this
play, in this moment.
That’s the process: Let’s
think about what we
can do today, the task at
hand.”
Rather than encouraging
his players to keep their
minds trained on winning
another title, visualizing
themselves holding the crystal football AFCA National
Championship Trophy, he has them focus only on
what is directly in front of them. The idea is that concerning
oneself too much with the unknowable future
is distracting and anxiety-inducing, which can lead
to failure.
Even when Saban achieves a major goal, he doesn’t
miss a beat and shifts his energy to the next objective.
For example, when a friend called Saban to
congratulate him for winning a BCS title, according
to GQ, Saban was fretting that other coaches were
trying to steal the high school recruits he had his eye
on. He doesn’t spend too much time thinking about
the future or the past, and is obsessed with moving
forward from task to task.
“Whether it’s pursuing the pinnacle of success in
your field or simply surviving some awful or trying
ordeal, the same approach works,” Holiday writes.
For example, if you’re launching a company, it’s
great to set a goal of hitting $1 million in revenues.
But focusing too much on that ideal can throw your
judgment off. Instead, break the challenge down into
smaller parts, such as creating an effective VC pitch,
acquiring an office, hiring your first employees, etc.
You’ll be better able to maintain a clear head by ignoring
anything unrelated to the current step in the
progression.
Whether it’s on the gridiron
or in the office, you
can break down exceedingly
difficult projects
into a series of manageable
steps. By handling
the immediate task in
front of you before moving
on to the next, you’ll
avoid that creeping sense
of panic that comes from
biting off too much.
“Even mammoth tasks become just a series of component
parts,” Holiday writes.
~Richard Feloni, Business Insider
18

got milk?

Coach Of the Month
Dabo Swinney
Dabo Swinney has been at Clemson for just eight
years as head coach, but he has cemented himself
among the Tiger legends of the past. He will be
the first person to tell you that the program has
not reached all of its goals just yet, but he took
the 2015 Tigers to the brink of winning the program’s
second National Championship.
Swinney guided Clemson to the No. 1 national
ranking in every College Football Playoff poll in
2015, and led the Tigers to their first National
Championship Game appearance under the new
format after his team defeated Oklahoma 37-17
in the Capital One Orange Bowl on December
31. The Tigers led Alabama in the fourth quarter
of the championship game, but came up just
short, 45-40, in an epic game in Glendale, Ariz.
Following the team’s 14-1 record and No. 2 final
ranking, he was the recipient of 10 National and
two ACC Coach-of-the-Year honors. The win
over Oklahoma made him just the second coach
in college football history (joining Alabama’s
Bear Bryant) to beat the Sooners in two different
bowl games.
20

2016
Top Football
Recruits
Gregory Little
6-5, 318 | Class of 2016
Hometown: Allen, Texas
School: Allen High School
Position: Offensive Tackle
Status: Signed Ole Miss
21

Rashan Gary
6-4, 287 | 40: 4.86 | Class of 2016
Hometown: Paramus, N.J.
School: Paramus Catholic High School
Position: Defensive Tackle
Status: Signed Michigan
Nick Bosa
6-3, 250 | Class of 2016
HometownFort Lauderdale, Fla.
School: Saint Thomas Aquinas High School
Position: Defensive End
Status: Signed Ohio State
Ed Oliver
6-2, 289 | Class of 2016
Hometown: Houston, Texas
School: Westfield High School
Position: Defensive Tackle
Status: Signed Houston
22

23
Program of the Month
University of South Carolina
Gamecocks
The South Carolina
Gamecocks football team
represents the University
of South Carolina in the
sport of American football.
The Gamecocks compete
in the Football Bowl
Subdivision of the NCAA
and the Eastern Division
of the Southeastern Conference.
Will Muschamp
currently serves as the
team’s head coach. They
play their home games at
Williams-Brice Stadium. Currently, it is the 20th largest stadium in college football.
USC’s SEC tenure has been highlighted by an SEC East title in 2010, Final Top-25 rankings
in 2000, 2001, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013 (AP No. 19, No. 13, No. 22, No. 9, No. 8 and No. 4),
and four wins over Top-5 SEC opponents, (No. 4 Ole Miss in 2009, No. 1 Alabama in 2010,
No. 5 Georgia in 2012 and at No. 5 Missouri in 2013).
From 1953 through 1970, the Gamecocks played in the Atlantic Coast Conference, winning
the 1969 ACC championship and finishing No. 15 in the 1958 final AP poll. From 1971
through 1991, they competed as a major independent, producing 1980 Heisman Trophy winner
George Rogers, six bowl appearances, and Final Top-25 rankings in 1984 and 1987 (AP
No. 11 and No. 15).
The Gamecocks have produced a National Coach of the Year in Joe Morrison, three SEC
coaches of the year in Lou Holtz (2000) and Steve Spurrier (2005, 2010), and one ACC coach
of the year in Paul Dietzel (1969). They also have three members of the College Football Hall
of Fame in George Rogers, Lou Holtz, and Sterling Sharpe.

It’s Scientifically
Formulated

25
Success or
Will the college football playoffs become the
next big Sporting Event?

Fail?
This Saturday is the biggest day for college
football. The outcome of the conference
champions will be determined. It will be
the last day for teams to make a push and get into
the top four and move on to the College Football
Playoff. This will be the second year since the
NCAA moved away from the BCS format into a
four team playoff. Has the new College Football
Playoff format been a success?
Going into the conference championships, there
are scenarios in which maybe eight different teams
outside of the top four could make the playoff. A
scenario in which the top four teams all lose or a
combination of some of them opens up endless
possibilities.
Already it’s showing improvements from the BCS in
terms of rankings. According to BCS simulations,
Ohio State would likely be in the top four right now.
With a committee voting to determine the rankings,
it is less likely to allow teams that don’t deserve it
into the playoff. The College Football Playoff Ranking
has Ohio State ranked sixth, as does the AP Top
25 poll, and the Coaches poll. While Ohio State is a
very good team, it’s basically unanimous that they
aren’t one of the top four teams in the nation right
now.
In terms of viewership and ratings, it has been
everything the NCAA could have hoped for. In its
inaugural season, the three games where some of
the most watched college football games in television
history. The semifinal games both drew more
than 28 million viewers. The Ohio State/Oregon
was the most watched program in ESPN and cable
TV history with over 33 million viewers. It was
a 21% increase in viewership from the last BCS
Championship game.
Apart from viewership, has it been a better system
than the BCS was? College football fans were
clamoring for some sort of a playing leading up to
the announcement that the NCAA would abandon
the BCS. America loves playoffs and the NCAA
gave the fans what they wanted. There are positives
and negatives to this change, however.
This year is a good example of why the College
Football Playoff is a success. It can be even better
even with the same format. Right now there are
two undefeated teams with Clemson and Iowa both
being 12-0. If next season there are no undefeated
teams or even just one, it adds even more parity
to an already exciting system. Do or die games are
insanely fun and three is better than one.
First off, having a four team playoffs expands the
field of potential teams to win a national championship
drastically. Obviously with a four team
playoff, there are two more teams with a chance,
but it’s more than just that. Adding two teams
provides way more opportunities to sneak in. With
the BCS there were far less opportunity for teams
to compete for a championship than there is now.
26

get explosive

Citations
“Oregon Football Uniforms.” Goducks.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Apr. 2016.
Hartnett, Tyson. (2013). “Why College Athletes Should Be Paid.” Retreived from http://www.
huffingtonpost.com/tyson-hartnett/college-athletes-should-be-paid_b_4133847.html
Deshaun Watson Bio.” (n.d.). ClemsonTigers.com. Retrieved April 30, 2016, from http://
www.clemsontigers.com/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=209389765
Feloni, Richard. (2014). “The Simple Strategy Alabama Coach Nick Saban Used To Create A
College Football Dynasty.” Retrieved from http://www.businessinsider.com/nick-sa
ban-strategy-for-success-2014-5
“Dabo Swinney Biography.” (n.d.). ClemsonTigers.com. Retrieved April 30, 2016, from
http://www.clemsontigers.com/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=205529394
ESPN. ESPN Internet Ventures, n.d. Web. 30 Apr. 2016. retreived from http://espn.go.com/
college-sports/football/recruiting/playerrankings/_/view/rn300/sort/rank/class/2016
“South Carolina Gamecocks Football.” (n.d.). In Wikipedia. Retrieved April 30, 2016, from
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Carolina_Gamecocks_football
Heaven, Sports. (2015). “Has the College Football Playoff Been a Success?” Retrieved from
http://sportsheaven.sportsblog.com/posts/8399197/has-the-college-football-playoffbeen-a-success-.html
Under Armour Logo. Retrieved April 30, 2016, from http://www.logospike.com/under-ar
mour-logo-795/
Degree Deoderant. Retrieved April 30, 2016, from http://www.degreedeodorant.com
Gatorade. Retrieved April 30, 2016, from http://www.gatorade.com
Wetzel, Dan. (2014). “What the College Football Playoff Committee is Already Getting
Wrong.” Retrieved from http://sports.yahoo.com/news/what-the-college-football-play
off-committee-is-already-getting-wrong-222137826-ncaaf.html
28

Citations
“Black Background-Free Large Images.” (2014). Retrieved april 30, 2016, from http://www.
freelargeimages.com/black-background-1923/
Gaines, Cork. (2013). “Johnny Manziel Threw His First Touchdown Pass And Then Did
The ‘Show Me The Money’ Celebration.” Retrieved From http://www.busines
sinsider.com/video-johnny-manziel-threw-his-first-touchdown-pass-of-the-seasonand-then-did-the-show-me-the-money-celebration-2013-8
Chenault, Nelson. (2013). Johnny Manziel [Online image]. Retrieved April 30, 2016, from
http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/sec/2013/10/16/auburn-tigers-texasam-aggies-johnny-manziel-josh-holsey/2998177/
Friedlander, Brett. (2013). “Preseason Polls Don’t Mean Much... Unless You’re a Coach
Looking for Moticational Fodder.” Retrieved From http://acc.blogs.starnewsonline.
com/37351/preseason-polls-dont-mean-much-unless-youre-a-coach-lookingfor-motivational-fodder/
Nick Saban. Retrived april 30, 2016, from http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/52a0c
c7369bedd4f44c34048/there-are-limits-to-what-alabama-can-pay-nick-saban-tostay.jpg,
Shiro, Richard. (2015). Deshaun Watson [online image]. retrieved April 30, 2016, from
http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/college/college_football/2015/12/heisman_
profile_steady_calm_deshaun_watson_leads_no_1
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HUAYI-5X7FT-football-field-Art-fabric-Vinyl-Photography-Backdrop-Vin
tage-Drops-Newborns-Portrait-Photo-Backgrounds-D/32446051705.html?sp
m=2114.40010708.4.2.6Cj139
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um-background
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29

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