The lives of the nation’s nearly 500,000 college athletes vary, but all are bound by the need to balance a commitment to their sports with their academic endeavors. How do they manage it? And how do some excel in both? A track and field national champion details his college experience, which helped him launch a career in the field of renewable energy. Jack Ford with Deko Ricketts, 2017 Washington U. in St. Louis graduate and project engineer at Azimuth Energy.