How Chris Fredrick balances football with computer engineering

[OrangeXtreme]

 

[GoSU96]

There's his job interview at any aerospace company. Director by 30.

 

[McNabb2Brominski]

Leave it up to Scott Shafer and his staff to push back on the kid pursuing a more challenging degree and making it all about football. “For the love of the game!!!!!”

 

[PhatOrange]

Wow good for him!!!!! Love to see that!!! and you know, people will help those who help themselves. Nice job by the Chair and course Coach Babers!

and shafer smh...

 

[Cusefan0307]

Lol shafer was such a meathead.

 

[cuse45]

I think he'll be drafted in April and will make us proud. Big fan of his game.

 

[Atlcuse44]

Wow, that is impressive. I was a Computer Engineering major at RIT for my first semester before switching over the Electrical Engineering. A very difficult major. It is amazing that he can balance that workload.

 

[Rocco]

This is an amazing story. The balance between being a full-time football player while being enrolled in a challenging full-time engineering major is nothing short of tremendous. This should get more run than just on syracuse.com.

This kid is an inspiration to me and is surely a role model for the younger kids still in HS with the dreams of playing P5 football while also pursuing a rewarding and challenging career post-football.

So awesome.

 

[Trueblue25]

This kid is a stud human being.

 

[MSOrange]

Wow great story. As screwed up as college athletics can be in so many ways, student athletes like Chris are what it's all about.

 

[Newhouser]

Leave it up to Scott Shafer and his staff to push back on the kid pursuing a more challenging degree and making it all about football. “For the love of the game!!!!!”

I am not a Shafer fan but not sure this isn't common at most schools. I know Ivy players who have been steered out of degree choices due to time constraints. The young man is an outstanding example of all that is right in college sports, but not everyone can pull it off,.

 

[sufandu]

I hate hearing something like, "it may interfere with practice."

The response from every university should be, "Ok, I expect that won't be a problem, coach."

 

[Cheriehoop]

I am not a Shafer fan but not sure this isn't common at most schools. I know Ivy players who have been steered out of degree choices due to time constraints. The young man is an outstanding example of all that is right in college sports, but not everyone can pull it off,.

I know D3 schools that have told athletes contemplating certain majors not to bother even trying out because the requirements including internships, timing conflicts etc would prevent the athletes from participating. The departments had tried to work out a schedule satisfactory for both academics and athletics but the academic dept had said the athletes had to make a choice and no compromise would suffice. It usually takes both departments to work together to make it work so in SU’s case I give both the athletic and academic parties credit for cooperating in helping Chris Fredrick achieve his dream in both pursuits.

 

[OttoMets]

Leave it up to Scott Shafer and his staff to push back on the kid pursuing a more challenging degree and making it all about football. “For the love of the game!!!!!”

Yeah, this was messed up:

" After talking former SU head coach Scott Shafer’s staff into allowing him to take on computer engineering as an incoming freshman, he continually pushed back classes that interfered with practice or other football-related obligations. "

Marrone did the same thing, one of those tailback-turned-linebackers complained about getting steered out of engineering.

To be fair (though there are a couple ways to read the line "...following his junior year, Fredrick started receiving more flexibility from ... head coach Dino Babers"), I don't know that this coaching staff is any more supportive to an incoming freshman who wants to trade his football work for an education in hard sciences.

This article is first and foremost a credit to Fredrick, but if I were a trustee it'd catch my attention for another reason. Everybody making decisions in the football program ought to be told that the players' four years of free labor entitle them to study in any degree program they wish, regardless of "football obligations."

 

[perdurabo]

For me Engineering is cake. D1 football would be very difficult.

 

[supp]

Great story for a media clippings packet to recruits.

 

[SmilinBob]

Maybe if this article came out earlier people on this site would have spelled his name correctly? Just busting your chops a little Bristle....enjoy your posts.