Army puts football star's NFL dream on hold

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http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/07/25/academ ... index.html

Being drafted by a professional sports team is a dream of almost every college athlete, but, in a time of war, the Pentagon has decided duty should come before athletic glory for officers graduating from the nation's military academies.

A few months ago, the Army didn't feel that way. It granted Army 2nd Lt. Caleb Campbell, who had been taken by the Detroit Lions in the first round of the NFL draft, permission to pursue his dream of becoming a professional football player.

The Army had initially said Campbell, a football standout who played for the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, could fulfill his military obligation by serving two years as a recruiter in his spare time. Academy graduates are usually required to serve five years.