We met up with Eagle Kevin Kavalec, ACC All-Academic Team member

Too often in the media do we see stories of college athletic programs forging student transcripts, enrolling athletes in inapplicable classes, and inflating final grades. 

In every case, these major universities looks to undermine the academic ability of their students and instead, shift the focus almost entirely to their sport of choice. 

This is certainly not the case here at Boston College.

BC has been known to give their athletes the same education that every other student at the university receives, with no shortcuts provided. Athletes are constantly pushed to their potential and are well aware that they are at BC not just to play a sport. 

This is especially the case with BC Football’s Junior Defensive Lineman, Kevin Kavalec. Kavalec has excelled both on and off the field, playing a pivotal role on the Eagle’s defensive line, while also maintaining a strong grades through his three years of school. 

But that’s not even the most remarkable feature of Kavalec.

While a large portion of student-athletes receive athletic scholarships to play their sport of choice, Kavalec was accepted to BC on an academic scholarship.

In addition to his impressive academic ability, during his sophomore year, Kavalec was selected for the ACC All-Academic Team for his noteworthy achievements off the field. 

To get some further insight, we at the Tab sat down with Kevin to find out just how he is able to balance his rigorous football schedule with the challenging courses he takes here at BC.

In terms of academics, why did you choose BC over other institutions?

I chose BC because it provided me an opportunity to receive an excellent education and compete in one of the best conferences in the country every Saturday. I also loved the campus and the guys on the team when I visited and felt like it was a great fit for me.

Take me through the classes you are currently enrolled in. 

I’m an Economics major. I’m currently taking Econometrics, Microeconomic Theory, Public Finance, Spanish, and Financial Accounting. It’s a pretty busy and challenging schedule but the classes are interesting.

Explain the challenges of maintaining a balance between football and school, does it ever become overwhelming?

It is certainly challenging to maintain a balance between school and football. The coaches demand a lot from us on the football end and the courses are obviously very demanding, as well. I probably realistically spend close to forty hours a week between practice, watching film, traveling, and the games on football so I have to make sure I stay on top of my classes and use my time efficiently.

During the week, most of the free time I have outside of class and football is spent keeping up with work and studying, which can become overwhelming especially when midterms come around.

How do you feel about the stereotype that athletes have an easier academic life than non-athletes?

I feel like it is simply just not true at all. If anything it’s harder because we do not have the same amount of time as most students and have to take all the same classes and do the same amount of work.

What did it mean for you to be a part of the ACC All-Academic Team?

It was a real honor to be named to the ACC All-Academic Team and be recognized for the work I do on and off the field. I place a high value on the education I am receiving and work hard to be successful in the classroom, so it was nice to be recognized for that work.

 A lot of times you see stories in the media about colleges that create course schedules for their athletes that allow them to take the so called “easy path” through school. How do you feel about that? And do you feel that BC does this in any way?

It definitely sheds a bad light on collegiate athletics when stories come out about schools setting up an “easy path” for student-athletes. It really is a shame when that happens because receiving a great education and a degree should always be the first priority for student-athletes. I do not think BC makes an “easy path” for athletes to get through school at all. BC does a great job of providing resources to help athletes balance the heavy workload, but athletes still have to do all the same work and take all the same classes as non-athlete students.

With the midpoint of the football season approaching, Kavalec will not only look to excel during the rest of the season, but maintain his grades and get the most out of his BC education.