President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed a presidential memorandum ordering the Pentagon to develop a new policy to delay mandatory active service for athletes attending the nation’s military academies so they can play professional sports immediately after graduating.
"Highly talented cadets and midshipmen who receive the extraordinary benefits of an education from an Academy or through a ROTC program at taxpayer expense should be able to both take advantage of the short window of time during which playing professional sports is realistically possible, while also honoring the commitment they have made to our Armed Forces and our country," press secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement, per The Hill.
The move, which gives Acting Secretary of Defense Mark Esper 120 days to develop a new plan, would reverse a policy Trump's administration had executed in 2017. Athletes enrolled in military academies cannot play sports before serving at least two years in the armed forces under the current Department of Defense policy.
"Once implemented, the President’s policy will empower our cherished Academies to compete even better in sporting activities against other colleges and universities, benefitting student-athletes and the Armed Forces," Sanders said. "The president wants our military to be strong in all respects, even in athletics."
Roger Staubach went on to have one of the most successful pro careers after he played college ball with Navy and served a tour of duty in Vietnam. He was quarterback for the Midshipmen from 1962-64 and earned the 1963 Heisman Trophy before winning two Super Bowls in his 11-year stint with the Cowboys.