An article in the Washington Post details the account of two trend-setting young men who have had an impact on their high school and college campuses.  These two young men set out to compete for the title of Valedictorian and achieved first and second ranking in their high schools.  They set out to play football and ended up on their college team.  They set out to make education "cool" to the masses and the question remains as to whether they accomplished this last goal.

An interesting theory; that the two guys could hold so much sway and influence in a schools' history as to change it's environment and learning climate for years to come.  They did, in fact, encourage those students who interacted with them on the football team to pursue excellence in academics, and even spent time tutoring some of the ones who struggled.  After their graduation, their influence remained. 

Some students, especially those involved with extracurricular activities like football, find it difficult to balance school work and play.  These guys found it to be enjoyable.  As much as they loved the game on the field, they loved the competition in the classroom, too.  But that came as a decision, not something inherent.  They decided to pursue academics with 100%.  Students like this have a tremendous influence over their peers.  They can, in fact, make being smart look "cool".