There are two NFL picks from last week's NFL draft that transcend football and raise larger societal issues. The first was Toby Gerhart, and standout running back at Stanford going in the late 2nd round. Gerhart suggests his white skin as a factor.

Then there is the case of Myron Rolle. Rolle is smart; he's a regular Rhodes Scholar. No, really. He finished school early at Florida State and attended Oxford. Rolle, a safety, was taken in the sixth round, 207th overall pick, by the Titans. Apparently Rolle's stock dropped because opting for Oxford rather than staying in college and playing football made the NFL question his commitment to the game. Clay Travis argues in this piece that this is rank hypocrisy on the part of the NFL; that they don't question the commitment of player's with substance abuse and other off the field problems but challenge Rolle's commitment to the NFL because of academic pursuits. I think this raises issues that transcend football. We'll take it up on Monday.