Indiana University Athletics
Will Meyers: Excelling on the Field and in the Classroom
8/13/2006 12:00:00 AM | Football
Aug. 13, 2006
In senior Will Meyers case, the `student' truly exists in student-athlete. Balancing two very demanding work loads is definitely a challenge, but for the 5-11 safety it is just as rewarding. In addition to embarking on his senior campaign a starting safety for the Hoosiers, Meyers used this summer to complete the Kelley School of Business' Integrative Core (I-Core).
The heart of the business school's curriculum, the I-Core is a high-impact semester of unique learning and teamwork experiences designed to prepare its students for the highly-competitive business environment. Meyers describes the program as intense but well worth the hard work.
"The I-Core is all summer long," Meyers said. "We started back in May. My group and I are working on finishing up and turning in our case study. It's a long process, especially during the summer when you are beginning practice and gearing up for the season. It's pretty intense, but it's very beneficial. This summer has definitely tested me."
Just as the Chesterfield, Mo., native made an immediate impact for IU early in his college career, earning first team All-American and Big Ten Defensive Freshman of the Year, the accounting major hopes to have that same influence on corporate America after graduation.
"I am going to enjoy this last year I have at IU," Meyers said. "But after graduation, I want to get an accounting job at a large corporation and begin to work my way up the corporate ladder."
As Meyers can attest, finding success on the field and in the classroom is no easy assignment. Whereas many student-athletes struggle to find the time to balance two demanding schedules, Meyers uses the rigorous slate to his advantage.
"Everyone always asks how I balance both, and they are always surprised when I tell them it isn't that bad," Meyers said. "I actually think it's easier during the season. During the season, you know that when you get free time, you should be working on school work. If you use that time wisely, you don't have to worry about time management because your time is allotted for you."
Meyers, who is the first Indiana football player to earn the prestigious title as an ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American, believes it is the simple things that can make you successful.
"I am fortunate to got to Indiana where there are so many resources that are available to you to help you succeed," Meyers said. "It's important to take advantage of those. Along with being smart about your time, it is so important to just go to class. It's hard after a long road trip or a tough day, but it's so important and will help you be successful."
The two-time Academic All-Big Ten selection credits much of his accomplishments in the classroom to football.
"I think a lot of what I learned from football has carried over into the classroom and has actually helped me," Meyers said. "Football has helped me become more disciplined, more motivated and forced me to manage my time effectively."
An obvious leader for the 2006 Hoosiers, Meyers can look back on his experiences as a freshman and offer advice to help them become well-rounded student-athletes.
"The number one thing I would tell the freshmen if they want to succeed is go to class," Meyers said. "Number two would be to get your work done and turn it in. In a lot of classes, you can get points for just going and turning in your homework and those are easy opportunities you need to take advantage of. I've learned that it's also important to get off on the right foot and to avoid falling behind."
Despite the hours of hard work, Meyers is able to look back on his three years at Indiana and feel prepared for life after football.
"All my experiences here at IU have been challenging but rewarding," Meyers said. "Being here at Indiana and taking away all of the lessons from football and being able to go through such a strong business school will only help me. I've had a lot of support from the football staff and the academic staff which has made a lot of the process go a lot smoother. I know I am well prepared for life after football because of all of the opportunities I had at Indiana. "
