What has the Naval Academy done to attract a generally higher quality of football player than West Point? Both schools require a merit based appointment, minimum grade standards, a minimum level of fitness, a high level of discipline. Quitting is not an acceptable concept at either. Could it be the coaching, or the prospect of mostly clean, dry and well fed sea duty vs. leading young men through the mud or dust?
What Navy has done in part to be dominant in shot is they prioritize winning football games. They put money into hiring top notch coaches. The Naval academy coach’s salary is more than double the USMA coach’s. They also have a number of players who went to the NFL either abandoning their service committments entirely or getting a specious waiver to serve in the reserves instead of active duty.
Is that the role of a service academy? I don’t know. Are they drawing better future marine and navy officer candidates by having a good football team? Maybe. Probably they are getting some cadet prospects favoring Navy over Army because of their football team, but finding people to fill the seats in the incoming classes with high quality cadets/midshipmen hasn’t been a problem.
See post 34.
West Point is for nose picking, mouth breathing, cone headed losers. Annapolis is for brilliant, strong, hero-types.
I know this to be true because I'm USNA '92. ;-)
BEAT ARMY!