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SCOUT'S TAKE

Skinny - Myron Rolle is one of the most talented and intriguing prospects to come through the college ranks in the last few decades. Rolle is a solid tackler, great in coverage, and is rarely out of position. He is smart, intuitive, and has terrific anticipatory skills. Rolle led Florida State with 62 tackles in 2008 and started 12 of 13 games (the one game missed was for his Rhodes Scholar interview). He recorded 67 tackles in 13 games in 2007, and another 77 tackles in 2006. His intellect on and off the field is what makes the 2008 Rhodes Scholar such an interesting prospect. He did not enter the 2009 draft, choosing instead to head overseas to Oxford University to earn his Masters. Once that is completed, he will make himself available for the 2010 NFL Draft.

Quote of Note - "I don’t know anybody you’d put ahead on him, but we’ve had quite a few academic All-Americans here. Myron graduated in two and a half years and won the Rhodes Scholar and what a great thing that was. Our quarterback (Christian Ponder) this year graduated in two and a half years, he was only a sophomore and he had already graduated so he’s got pretty good academic potential also. But Myron was exceptional."

- Florida St. Head Coach Bobby Bowden on CFI Radio

NEWS

02.10.10 - Myron Rolle eventually wants to be a neurosurgeon and open a medical center in the Bahamas, where he has family roots. You might know the story, how he starred at Florida State and became one of the country’s finest defensive backs in 2008. And was even better in the classroom. And became a Rhodes scholar, just like one of his mentors, Bill Bradley. And decided to skip the 2009 NFL draft to study abroad, delaying his pro football career by a year and costing himself quite a few dollars. Rolle took advantage of a free college education, which is often taken for granted, and parlayed that into a Rhodes, the Heisman Trophy of academics. And now he has career options: Play football as long as his body is young and strong, then use his medical anthropology degree to become a doctor and save lives. – NBC

01.30.10 - Despite almost totally immersing himself in academics as he studied medical anthropology and experienced a learning environment that he said was unlike anything he had ever encountered, Rolle said he never gave up on his dream to be a professional football player. "Frankly, being a pro provides financial security, provides a certain status and it provides a completion to a dream," Rolle said. "And it provides validation for everything I've tried to do in my life -- trying to be a student and an athlete. Becoming a Rhodes Scholar was the pinnacle of academic achievement, and being a professional football player will be the pinnacle of being an athlete." If his devotion to the game was ever in doubt, Rolle's workout schedule while at Oxford should probably clear that up. With his brother, McKinley, helping out, Rolle went through a workout regimen designed specifically for him by one of the top trainers in the U.S. He also worked out with the Oxford rugby team. – Montgomery Advertiser

01.18.10 - Rolle finished third on the team in total tackles (62) in 2008 and broke his string of 30 straight starts after arriving late for the Maryland game which fell on the same day as his Rhodes Scholarship interview. “The only thing I haven’t done in a year is hit somebody and be physical. So once I get that first hit out of my system I think it will be like normal again. I’ve been playing football for 15, 16 years and I’m just ready for the Senior Bowl and the challenge that lies ahead.” Rolle has 206 total career tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss and 13 pass deflections. He has been working with trainer Tom Shaw since he graduated from FSU in 2008 in preparation for the 2010 NFL draft. – ESPN

12.21.09 - Some experts estimate Mr. Rolle sacrificed up to $8 million by putting off the pros. But his handlers argue the business opportunities he'll derive from his access to the powerful network of Rhodes alumni could help him more than recoup those earnings over time. Mr. Rolle has already garnered one endorsement, from a football helmet company, but he's got a long way to go. Vin Ferrara, founder and CEO of Xenith Co., said Mr. Rolle's interest in medicine will help him educate young athletes about how to reduce their risk of concussions. "Myron is a great example of someone who is putting his education and his interests as a humanitarian above his aspirations to make money and be a professional athlete," Mr. Ferrara said. – Wall Street Journal

05.26.09 - While studying for his masters in medical anthropology in Oxford, Rolle plans to work out to maintain his standing in the NFL. In December, he will get a six-week break to return to the United States. That’s when he plans to work out for NFL scouts, coaches and executives in advance of the draft. To be ready, there’s no time off, no wasted moment.

01.29.09 - Before choosing to accept the Rhodes Scholarship he won, S Myron Rolle contemplated the implications a yearlong hiatus could have on his football career. If he were out of sight, a world away in Oxford, England, would he be out of mind? "When you're not around the college football scene and you're not able to perform on Saturdays for NFL teams to evaluate your performance," he said, "that could hurt." But Rolle's trepidation was short-lived. You see, he has a well thought-out plan to be ready for the 2010 NFL draft. He'll continue working out in Orlando with noted trainer Tom Shaw until he leaves in September then continue a regimen there, tapping some of the recommendations from another Seminole standout who was in England on a Rhodes, Tampa's Garrett Johnson. He has also arranged with FSU's staff to send him game tapes, not only from 2008 but of FSU's opponents in 2009 so he can study different offenses and prepare mentally as if he were lining up each Saturday. "I've never been one who has a poor work ethic or someone who doesn't want to get better every day, as coach Mickey Andrews says," said Rolle, who's making some public appearances as well as working on a book. "I'm going to stay in shape and work and train while in England so I can come to the February combine in 2010 very much in shape and I can come to impress. That's my stage to show the NFL teams that I haven't lost a step, that I'm still the athlete that I was." As told to the St. Petersburg Times.

01.13.09 - Florida State safety and New Jersey native Myron Rolle will study at Oxford instead of entering this year's NFL draft. Rolle won a Rhodes scholarship in November and plans to seek a one-year master's degree in medical anthropology, The New York Times reported Monday in an entry on its college football blog. "I'm very excited to go," Rolle wrote in a text message to the newspaper. Rolle, projected to be an early round pick, said he plans to enter the 2010 NFL draft.

01.02.09 - Myron Rolle has put up an impressive body of work at FSU. In 2006, he earned several Freshman All-America honors after posting 77 tackles with 5.5 for loss, one sack, one interception and five pass breakups. Last season he added to his resume with 67 tackles with 1.5 for loss, two pass breakups and two fumbles recovered. This season, he has 57 tackles and five pass breakups. While Rolle would be an early round pick and he will not return for senior season at FSU, he also won't be going to the NFL. He has earned a Rhodes Scholarship and plans to continue his studies overseas in England.

VITALS

Honor Roll - 2008 Rhodes Scholar; First-Team Freshman All-American; Sporting News ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year; AP Third-Team All-American 2008.

High School - Myron Rolle was the #1 ranked player nationally coming out of high school as per ESPN, and the #1 athlete in the nation by Rivals.com. During his senior season, Rolle recorded 112 tackles and 14 tackles-for-loss. While at Hun School of Princeton, he lined up as a cornerback, safety, wide receiver, and running back in addition to playing four years of varsity basketball.

Personal - Rolle graduated from Florida State in 2 ½ years and is pursuing his Masters in Medical Anthropology at Oxford.

Bio