Derek Akunne goes from sporting goods cashier to Cowboys contract

[Harry]

IRVING, Texas -- The transaction was announced the day after the Dallas Cowboys' season ended; one of eight "futures" signings and barely registered.

On Jan. 4, when Jason Garrett med the media for the final time, there were more important things than the signing of linebacker Derek Akunne.

Akunne, a linebacker, joined the Cowboys' practice squad on Dec. 22, another move that went largely unnoticed late in a miserable season. He joined the roster in part because he was in the area and in part because he spent two months on the Atlanta Falcons' practice squad before his Oct. 27 release.

But he was far from the NFL when he got the call the Cowboys wanted to sign him.

He was working as a cashier at Academy Sports & Outdoors in Denton, Texas, not far from where he went to college at the University of North Texas.

"I was still working out, staying in shape but I just had a lot of free time and was like, ‘I might as well work, make some money,' while I was out," Akunne said.

He would work out at North Texas at different hours, depending on his work schedule, but he experienced the Christmas rush at the sporting goods store.

"It was crazy," Akunne said.

read more:  http://espn.go.com/blog/dallas-cowboys/post/_/id/4748823/for-derek-akunne-football-interrupts-real-life

[All About UNT]

Sorry but Derek Akunne is a smart guy on top of being a stellar athlete. I don't ever want to see him as a cashier at a sporting goods store again.

[Army of Dad]

8 hours ago, All About UNT said:

Sorry but Derek Akunne is a smart guy on top of being a stellar athlete. I don't ever want to see him as a cashier at a sporting goods store again.

I bet he's not upset about it. Just a transitional faze in his life while he pursues his dream. Nothing wrong with working like he had while waiting for a call from the NFL.

[All About UNT]

18 minutes ago, Army of Dad said:

I bet he's not upset about it. Just a transitional faze in his life while he pursues his dream. Nothing wrong with working like he had while waiting for a call from the NFL.

Yeah ok sure but sometimes that transition lasts quite a few years. Just saying I want to see nothing but the best happen for Derek.

[ChristopherRyanWilkes]

Without specifically addressing Derek or UNT, just as a general observation it seems like colleges do a very poor job of preparing their "student-athletes" for the job market outside of football. It's a pretty widespread trend that very few want to address. 

[UNTLifer]

1 minute ago, ChristopherRyanWilkes said:

Without specifically addressing Derek or UNT, just as a general observation it seems like colleges do a very poor job of preparing their "student-athletes" for the job market outside of football. It's a pretty widespread trend that very few want to address. 

I would add that some academic departments do a poor job of preparing their students for the job market, so I would agree that there needs to be something to address this area for all students.

[ChristopherRyanWilkes]

16 minutes ago, UNTLifer said:

I would add that some academic departments do a poor job of preparing their students for the job market, so I would agree that there needs to be something to address this area for all students.

Sure, but that's a different subject. As for athletes, many are getting a degree that doesn't translate to much outside of coaching. When coaching opportunities don't come up, they seems to struggle. The Universities they made money for, meanwhile, did little to prepare them during their time there for anything but football. If we are going to say this is truly an amateur sport and the goal is producing student-athletes then we have to acknowledge the problem. Congrats to Derek, by the way. 

[MeanGreenTexan]

16 minutes ago, ChristopherRyanWilkes said:

Sure, but that's a different subject. As for athletes, many are getting a degree that doesn't translate to much outside of coaching. When coaching opportunities don't come up, they seems to struggle. The Universities they made money for, meanwhile, did little to prepare them during their time there for anything but football. If we are going to say this is truly an amateur sport and the goal is producing student-athletes then we have to acknowledge the problem. Congrats to Derek, by the way. 

I think it's much ado about nothing.  

Seems Derek just wanted a part time job while waiting for his next opportunity to come, and he knew it would come.  I don't think he was looking for a career in retail at Academy.

[physics90]

45 minutes ago, UNTLifer said:

I would add that some academic departments do a poor job of preparing their students for the job market, so I would agree that there needs to be something to address this area for all students.

Very true.  With the price of college, ALL students deserve a better placement service.  UNT should emulate UTEP as a model in this area.

[ChristopherRyanWilkes]

8 minutes ago, MeanGreenTexan said:

I think it's much ado about nothing.  

Seems Derek just wanted a part time job while waiting for his next opportunity to come, and he knew it would come.  I don't think he was looking for a career in retail at Academy.

Not mentioning Derek specifically, this is pretty widespread if you look around. We've all seen it but few want to address it.

http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2014/7/9/5885433/ncaa-trial-student-athletes-education

 

[HarringtonFishSmeller]

Sporting goods cashier?  God almighty.  I need to give every graduating UNT student athlete my card and see which ones can sell.  Cashier? 

Come on, man.  It may cost me $200 to get a kid licensed to sell - test materials and testing fee.  Most companies give 20% on new business on homeowners policies, 10-15% on renewal.  So, if the kid just sold one homeowners policy a year, that money would be made back.  I mean, selling part-time, he'd likely make as much as cashiering. 

Where's that big ass linebacker Byron Gross?  He's been in the insurance game damn near as long as I have. 

Lordy.