Factors that Positively Affect Academic Performance of African American Football Student Athletes

The purpose of this study was to identify the factors that affected the academic persistence and graduation of African-American male student-athletes who participated in the sport of football at Southeastern Conference (SEC) institutions. This study differs from previous studies by concentrating on African-American male student-athletes who successfully navigated the academic processes of higher education and ultimately earned a degree. More often than not, research on the academic performance of African-American male student-athletes has been conceptualized from a deficit perspective focusing mainly on nonperformance. This study used a qualitative case study design to examine the experiences and perceptions related to academic persistence and graduation. Eighteen African-American males who are former student-athletes in the sport of football in the SEC and graduated were interviewed. A grounded theory approach was used in the analysis of the data. Six themes emerged from this study that appears central to the academic persistence and graduation of the student-athletes in this study. These themes are: (a) family member/significant other influence; (b) institutional commitment; (c) teammate influence/peer acceptance; (d) self-motivation; (e) fraternity influence; and (f) spirituality.