TCU Football Players Get High With Jesus

February 16, 2012     Posted in College, News, Reality


By Ashley

Just yesterday morning, seventeen students — four of which football players — were arrested for selling drugs on and around their college campus. Can you guess which school they went to? I was surprised to hear that they were students of Texas Christian University. TCU, as a Christian university, holds itself to a higher moral standard than the typical university. Adhering to Christian values, the university aims “to educate individuals to think and act as ethical leaders and responsible citizens in the global community.” It’s for this reason that the drug arrests are all the more shocking.

My second week back from winter break, five rooms in my dorm were busted for marijuana. Since then, two of those same rooms have been caught again. While drugs are a big issue at my school and other college campuses, none of these drug busts ever made the news. Even though students across the country are caught selling drugs all the time, the case at TCU is different. It’s a bigger deal. Here’s why:

1. Their Christian Values

TCU, as a Christian university, holds their students to a higher standard as described in the Bible. So, why would students adhering to these values smoke or even sell marijuana? At first thought, here is my response: I went to a Jewish day school until I was thirteen. However, it was only once I stopped being forced to believe in the values of Judaism that I began to embrace them. I’ve found that, compared to my friends that stayed in Jewish schools through high school, I feel a deeper connection to the teachings of my religion. While I don’t believe my friends from Jewish high schools would ever sell drugs, I do think that this same idea can be applied to the students at TCU. When religion involuntarily surrounds you, it’s hard not to want to push back at least a little bit. The case at TCU is, of course, an extreme but do I believe that it’s hard to adhere to religious values when they feel forced upon you.

2. TCU’s Tuition…

…is estimated, with room and board, at $43,860 per year. This high price tag means that the majority of students are either very wealthy and paying full tuition, or on scholarship. This, again, begs the question, “Why would they do this?” If they are from wealthy families, they do not need the money. If they are on scholarship, they shouldn’t risk their scholarship to make money. I attribute this behavior, then, to pushing back against authority and religion. I’ve never sold drugs before, but I’m assuming there is a huge rush of adrenaline involved. Add this to the rush experienced when rebelling against authority and religion, and I’ll bet that the students arrested at TCU had an adrenaline addiction.

3. The football players’ “untouchability”

Our society puts great value on athletes, especially football players. At a school with one of the most highly ranked football teams in the country, there is no doubt in my mind that these football players were given a lot of slack. This drug bust shows that they thought they were above the law. The truth is, until this point, they were. It starts with being allowed to miss classes for practice, then it moves to being able to cut the lines in the cafeteria, get less than acceptable grades, and so on. These football players are frequently on TV. They are the closest thing to celebrities on the TCU campus. After even a few months of this, I can imagine that it was pretty easy for the football players to start thinking they were untouchable. Truthfully, who wouldn’t?

Keeping these points in mind, it’s completely understandable that the arrests at TCU made headlines over the drug arrests that frequently occur across the rest of the country. Hopefully these arrests will serve as an example of what could very well happen when students get involved with drugs, as well as the drawbacks of glorifying student athletes.

What impact, if any, do you think religion had on these students’ behavior? Did they really believe they were untouchable because they were college football stars? Sound off in the comments below!

13 Comments on "TCU Football Players Get High With Jesus"

  1. Anonymous says:
    Thu, 16th Feb 20121:13 pm 

    It's funny how you mention "While I don’t believe my friends from Jewish high schools would ever sell drugs".

    Every dealer I knew it high school was jewish.

  2. Ashley says:
    Thu, 16th Feb 20121:42 pm 

    TCU isn't a Christian only school. They do not push the Christian lifestyle,beliefs, but I do think that they have to take a class or two. It is up to the students to pursue a more religious life. Jews, Christians, Muslims, atheists alike will sell drugs for the profit. You never know what your friends are capable of! I totally agree with your #3 though!

  3. Adriana says:
    Thu, 16th Feb 20122:21 pm 

    College students are the same no matter what school they go to. This happens at every college across the country. The fact that TCU is a Christian school should not make this any more surprising than any other drug bust at any other school.

    In addition, religion does not "involuntarily surround" them; in fact, it is quite the opposite. These students chose to go to this school. They volunteered themselves into this atmosphere. I highly doubt the Christian affiliation of the school would be any sort of contributing factor in this situation.

  4. Jennifer Dee says:
    Thu, 16th Feb 20126:06 pm 

    I also love point 3! Great post.

  5. Stell says:
    Thu, 16th Feb 20127:16 pm 

    Trust me, TCU is not a "Christian" school. Yes, the word is in the name but it's really just a name at this point. If you read through the school's mission statement and any material promoting the school you will not find ONE reference to Jesus, God, or spirituality. If anything I would imagine there might be MORE drug use here than at a big state school simply because students here can more easily afford it.

  6. 5001 says:
    Thu, 16th Feb 20128:31 pm 

    "It starts with being allowed to miss classes for practice"-you obviously don't go to TCU because if you did, then you would have had at least 20 football players in your classes in your first 2 years here. They do not miss any more class than a normal college student.

    "then it moves to being able to cut the lines in the cafeteria"- you have no idea how things at TCU work and making generalized statements like this make your credibility go right out the window.

    "If they are on scholarship, they shouldn’t risk their scholarship to make money. I attribute this behavior, then, to pushing back against authority and religion. I’ve never sold drugs before, but I’m assuming there is a huge rush of adrenaline involved. Add this to the rush experienced when rebelling against authority and religion, and I’ll bet that the students arrested at TCU had an adrenaline addiction."
    Did you really just say that? If you have ever met someone that deals drugs, you would know that they are not having fun or getting an adrenaline rush when doing it. You are assuming way too much about TCU students, and since you are assuming all of these things, I will go ahead and assume that you know nothing about being an ethical writer.

  7. bethany says:
    Thu, 16th Feb 20128:51 pm 

    I go to TCU and the media is blowing this waaaay out of proportion. the reason this is such a big deal is because we were the only football team without any criminal records previously. gary patterson has a no tolerance policy and those boys were immediately kicked off the team. the school has to take the more legal route and do all the paperwork but they are also expelled from school. we are not taking this lightly and at least we own up to our mistakes

  8. that guy says:
    Thu, 16th Feb 20129:31 pm 

    The ignorance of this article is incredible.

    By the way I noticed that you are majoring in "Overanalyzing Situations?" I was definitely not aware that this was a major but it looks like you are succeeding with it.

  9. Jake says:
    Thu, 16th Feb 201210:20 pm 

    Almost everyone that has commented on this post is an asshole. You clearly do not know good writing when you see it and you are probably all just haters from TCU.
    Anonymous: Did she ever say that Jews don’t sell drugs? No, so your comment is completely unnecessary.
    5001: How would her assumptions ever show that she is not an ethical writer? You are clearly not an ethical writer because you neither discuss ethics nor explain your reasoning.
    That Guy: You’re being “that guy” that everyone hates. Congratulations. I think it’s cute and funny that she’s majoring in Overanalyzing Situations

    You are all ignorant assholes. Congrats.

  10. 5001 says:
    Fri, 17th Feb 201210:33 am 

    Jake, calm down. It is pretty well known that ethical writing is backed up by facts, not general assumptions which this article is full of. I am not attacking the writer as a person, but as a credible writer. Almost the entire 3rd point is based off of assumptions about my school and our students. I don't believe i should have to point out that when somebody makes statements based on assumptions about something they know nothing about, is considered unethical. I'm pretty sure that if someone who was knowingly putting your school in a bad light by writing an article full of assumptions and few facts, you would want to defend it too. Come back in 7 years when you are old enough to be in college.

  11. that girl says:
    Mon, 20th Feb 20127:04 pm 

    its a joke you idiot get a life

  12. Anonymous says:
    Tue, 21st Feb 20125:50 pm 

    Is this seriously an article? You basically just made a bunch of assumptions about people you don't know and a school you don't go to. That's not journalism, or writing. That's bullshit.

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