Army linebacker Andre Carter II garnered four tackles in their 20-17 overtime victory over Navy last week, capping a career that is likely to continue in the NFL, with some even predicting he could be a first-round pick. However, according to a potential change in policy related to armed service members, Carter’s pro football career might be on hold.
The Military Times reported first reported on a potential change in the policy for athletes at the academies that was instituted in 2019. That’s when former President Donald Trump pushed through a rule that allowed athletes at military academies to apply for a waiver to delay their active service requirement in order to play professional sports.
The Senate passed the National Defense Authorization Act on Thursday and it now heads to President Joe Biden’s desk to be signed. However, Section 553 of the act includes language that states an “agreement by a cadet or midshipman to play professional sport constitutes a breach of service obligation.” Noting that this covers athletes from the Army, Navy, and Air Force, it states: “The cadet may not obtain employment, including as a professional athlete, until after completing the cadet’s commissioned service obligation.”
Per Army regulations, that obligation is five years of active duty and three years in the individual-ready reserve.
The amendment was introduced by Mike Gallagher, a Wisconsin Republican. In a statement to ESPN, Gallagher said “I will be working with my colleagues to identify a legislative fix that addresses this issue by grandfathering in existing athletes into the current system,” though he added that “U.S. military service academies exist to produce warfighters, not professional athletes.”
Gallagher’s office did say that current athletes at the military academies “signed up with the understanding that they could apply for a waiver to defer their military service.”
[ESPN]
