Will Biden Level the Playing Field for Naval Academy Athlete?
White House press secretary Jen Psaki quickly threw President Bidens full support behind the Supreme Courts unanimous landmark ruling this week that the National Collegiate Athletic Association can no longer restrict colleges from providing education-related benefits to athletes -- but steered clear of a related college-sports issue. Our view is that, of course, NCAA student athletes work very hard, both on the athletic field and in the classroom, Psaki told reporters during Mondays press briefing, adding, Im a retired one myself -- referring to her two years on the swim team at the College of William & Mary. And todays decision recognizes that, as with all Americans, their hard work should not be exploited. And the president believes that everyone who works should be compensated fairly for his or her labor, she added. But Psaki and the White House have been reticent when it comes to a controversial U.S. Navy decision earlier this month to bar Naval Academy football player Cameron Kinley (pictured, kneeling at center) from delaying his five-year military service commitment to play in the NFL with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Sen. Marco Rubio is pressing Biden to assist the cornerback, who was also the captain of his team and president of his class. The president could grant a waiver to delay Kinleys service obligation, but that would mean overturning his Navy secretarys decision. When reached by RealClearPolitics, Psaki on Tuesday declined to comment on whether the White House is considering providing such a waiver. In a letter to Biden over the weekend, Floridas senior senator wrote: Grant Mr. Kinleys waiver to play in the NFL and send a message to future academy graduates that the United States is a country where Americans can follow their dreams and be true to their commitment.  Navy Secretary Thomas Harkers denial of the waiver request surprised many in the military community. At least a dozen service academy athletes have been allowed to play in the NFL with delayed service obligations during the Trump, Obama and Biden administrations. Four other football stars who attended either the Air Force Academy or West Point have signed with NFL teams over the last year without issue. Armys Jon Rhattigan is joining the Seattle Seahawks, while the Air Force is allowing George Silvanic to sign with the Los Angeles Rams, Nolan Laufenberg to head to the Denver Broncos and Parker Ferguson to play for the New York Jets. Trump formalized his support for these deferments into White House policy in 2019 when he directed the Defense Department to put together a waiver policy that would give student athletes attending service academies or earning a commission through ROTC a chance to go pro. But its applied on a case-by-case basis. Under those rules, which remain in place, each military branch secretary has the right to deny a waiver request. Such cadets and midshipmen have a short window of time to take advantage of their athletic talents during which playing professional sports is realistically possible, Trump wrote at the time. The move reversed a policy from former Defense Secretary James Mattis, who in 2017 rescinded a previous Obama directive allowing academy and ROTC graduates to hold off on their military assignments while they explored pro sports. Stretching back to the Obama years, the DoD arranged for those receiving waivers to serve their military obligations under reserve status while assigned to their nearest installations. For instance, Joe Cardona, a long snapper for the New England Patriots, played in three Super Bowls (winning two) while serving seven years in the U.S. Naval Reserves. Two other recent Naval Academy grads, Malcolm Perry and Keenan Reynolds, were allowed to play in the NFL in 2020 and 2016, respectively. Providing that option helps the academies stay competitive in their sports recruiting, proponents argue, while opponents counter that playing professional sports could risk injuries that render a returning junior officer non-deployable. Trump addressed the issue by requiring the same number of years of service in a civilian DoD position if an academy grad is hurt playing in the NFL. The Supreme Courts Monday ruling did not address the more contentious issue of whether student athletes can be paid salaries or receive other forms of compensation. But decisions allowing product endorsements and other remuneration may not be far behind. Once that occurs, traditional universities will undoubtedly try to harness all the marketing power those student stars can bring, and the military academies athletics programs will undoubtedly suffer in comparison. Opening the door to compensation for student athletes will only increase the seismic gap between the pursuit of a military athletics program and traditional university athlete track, Lindy Kyzer, the editor of ClearanceJobs.com, opined in a Monday essay. Kinleys decision to attend the Naval Academy was more complex than most student athletes college choices  he was motivated by the two-fold attraction of being able to serve his country and play professional ball. It ultimately came down to the Navy Academy being the total package and having the opportunity to give back and serve my country and grow as a man and grow as a leader, which was going to make me a better husband and father in the future, he said during a recent interview on Good Morning America. So, it was an opportunity I couldnt see myself passing up on.  Mondays Supreme Court decision in and of itself may not alter military academy athletics programs all that much. You cant buy that brand of patriotism, Kyzer notes. But the arbitrary decision to deny Kinleys waiver could very well lead prospective student athletes to reconsider their options. Theres no doubt being denied the chance to play in the NFL will have trickle-down implications on other student athletes, who may see serving in a military academy as closing the door on a future professional sports career, Kyzer wrote. Rubio, in his letter to Biden, called Kinleys waiver denial an issue of great unfairness and called Harkers waiver denial the exception without reason.  These athletes serve as incredible role models for our youth -- service members who share a love of country on and off the field, the Republican lawmaker said.  Mr. Kinley is not seeking to terminate his commitment to the Navy. Far from it. He wishes to promote service to our great nation from one of the countrys largest stages. I implore you to right this wrong.