Abstract
This paper is an examination of the 2020 National Football League (NFL) Draft and how the virtual prism created due to the COVID-19 pandemic provides insight on the dual career identities of collegiate football players that are drafted into the NFL. The virtual prism created by the COVID-19 pandemic is a moment for cultural studies to take up seriously, namely because of the clear tensions and synergies between academic and athletic prowess, racial inequality in higher education, racial socialization, the continued racialization of the vocational realm, and media biases. Our method involved an analysis of secondary compiled data from the NFL. In our data analyses, we focused on the idea of credited season, player eligibility, team graduation rate. We also used athlete triangulation information to advance our understanding of the dual career, family, masculinity, and race. Ultimately, we conclude that NFL players possess a comparable set of academic/professional skills that effectively help them transition from sports activities to the world of labor. Following our theoretical advancement(s), we discuss the practical application of our work and provide recommendations for scholars and practitioners on dual-career identities and player development dynamics.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
