WRITTEN BY ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS INTERN AND TRACK AND FIELD STUDENT-ATHLETE: COREY GOODLOE

 Being a student-athlete means facing the sure burdens of practice, weight training, and competition, not to mention the normal academic requirements of any other student. Though it is rare, some student-athletes decide to add more to their already-full plate when they take on a second sport at the collegiate level.  

Napoleon Outlaw III is one of those rare two-sport athletes at Oakland University, playing soccer and running track and field. The Oakland senior has spent four years meeting the overwhelming demands of two sports while juggling academics and the resemblance of a social life. This balance, although it was difficult his first two years, was not entirely a delicate one for him.  

"My first two years were difficult," said Outlaw III,  "It was a special case for the coaches to try to figure out what to do with me because they never had an athlete who played two sports at one time. The first two years were a case of, we're going to pile everything on you and see how you do."

One would think that practicing two sports, four-hours a day while maintaining an academic schedule would be a challenge for Outlaw at a young age. But he rose to the occasion and didn't miss a beat. He completed a pleasing freshman campaign, both academically and athletically. On the soccer team, Outlaw managed to be named to the Horizon League All-Freshman Team finishing third on the team in goals (3) and second in points (8). During the indoor/outdoor track and field seasons, he was able to achieve two lifetime personal records, notably in the 60m (6.86) and the 100m (10.54) while topping it all off with a 3.0 grade point average.  

The success that came out of such a rigorous schedule also had its share of consequences.  

"It was hard," he said. "it got to a point where I would be really hungry, on the verge of passing out, I would cry. My body was in a lot of pain."

Now in his fourth-year, Outlaw III has grown accustomed to the strain of his schedule, according to him "it's almost routine." How does he do it? One can only assume that in order to survive his schedule, it would take an innate motivation, drive, competitiveness, or natural athleticism -- all of which he possesses, with the help of an impressive athletic lineage.

The namesake of both his father and grandfather were successful football players who competed at the collegiate level. His grandfather played at Cincinnati and his father at Michigan State. The name is well-established around Lansing, and it has its own advantages.  

Despite the glory of the name, Outlaw III has made it his personal mission to escape the shadows of his grandfather and father and succeed on his own merit. That quest began when he decided to take an unconventional path playing soccer. Introduced to the sport at the age of five during recess, Outlaw III found himself really enjoying it and naturally caught on much faster than others in his age group so he wanted to stick with it. However, the decision to play soccer was foreign to his family.  

"Nobody in my family actually played soccer. Football was the primary sport and my mom was a gymnast, and my uncles did karate," add Outlaw III. "Soccer was something I could do myself and create my own story with."

The moment Outlaw III knew he could be a special talent at soccer and go further with the sport,  came when he was six-years-old during a club soccer game which happened to be the first time playing an organized game. He managed to score five goals which caught many spectators by surprise.


"Other parents would come up to my parents and ask how long has your kid been playing? It looks like he's been playing for a long time."

Outlaw III became more successful at soccer and enjoyed the achievements of being selected to play in an academy which was the highest level of soccer at his age, other than the national team, that you can play before the Division I level. Outlaw III had intentions of only playing soccer in college even though he was also running track and field in high school. He believed that since his high school schedule was rigorous with traveling for soccer and running track, it would be even worse in college.  

"I committed to Oakland my junior year of high school to play soccer, that's it. I knew I was good at track, but I had no desire to run it in college because I knew, from high school, it would be too much at a higher level. Plus, I wanted to have a social life."

Changing his mind in the process, he saw his decision to play two sports in college as pushing the envelope and "wanted to challenge himself" which is a testament to how he raised which according to him "is not to do the bare minimum." After a successful track and field season during his senior year of high school, he didn't want his second talent to fall by the wayside.  

"I knew I could do two sports. Why not challenge myself and do more than I actually think I can do? I didn't want to throw away this gift if I could cultivate it, and still do it at a high level, I might as well try."


Outlaw III, along with the platform of two sports, wants to inspire the next generation of potential two-sport athletes, especially those who are African-American.

According to Outlaw III,  "If my story inspires someone to want to come to Oakland and play two-sports, that's a success to me.  I want to be able to show people that it is possible. It's not about personal accolades, although I would love to go down as one of the few who were able to accomplish a two-sport career at the collegiate level at Oakland. But, I really want to inspire the next generation, including those who look like me."

Through the accomplishments he has received playing two sports, it is safe to say he has already made his mark.