Just because they are good at sports doesn't mean they are smart......
This is a lesson that I keep having to relearn over and over. Every time one of these talented athletes does something beyond stupid, I'm truly puzzled because I always confuse their on-the-court (or -field) acumen with general intelligence. I guess it's because my own athletic talent is so minimal that I really look up to and admire those with even average athletic skills. When someone with the talent to play college-level or professional ball acts like a real bonehead I'm always surprised to find out that their ability to think on the field of competition does not equate with their ability to think out there in the real world "beyond the lines." I do remember a few cases the other way around (names redacted to protect the guilty) where some player acted like a doffus while playing his or her sport and that proved to be a good indication of a real life doffus as well.