A 'model' student takes walk to remember

By Brian Arty
Collegian Reporter
January 24, 2007

Very seldom do people put models and athletes, especially football players, in the same category. Stereotypes tell us the words “football player” mean oversized, slow and dumb meathead.

This is not the case for La Salle senior William Rhea, who models for Click Modeling Management in New York City, is a full-time student majoring in Integrated Science and Business Technology (ISBT), is a former member of La Salle’s football team and competes for the school’s track and field team.

Rhea, a native of Rockville, Md., lives a life that many might deem impossible. He began playing organized football at the age of seven and eventually became a highly touted recruit in football and track, receiving scholarship offers from La Salle, the University of Delaware, Salisbury University, Duquesne University and the University of Maryland.

Rhea began to catch the attention of college coaches after starting as cornerback at Our Lady of Good Counsel High School for two and a half years. It was at Good Counsel where Rhea earned All-Conference Honorable Mention as a freshman, All-County first team as a junior and senior, Team Defensive MVP in 2002 and was voted the school’s Most Outstanding Athlete before graduating in 2003.

Rhea said he chose La Salle because he received a track scholarship and also received financial grants for playing football.

As a freshman Rhea started all 11 games as cornerback for the Explorers’ football team in 2004, but his sophomore season was cut short by a broken ankle he suffered in the team’s first game of 2005.

“It was frustrating to work that hard in the off-season and then to have it end in the first game and have to watch the rest on the sideline while your team struggles,”Rhea said.

Rhea, also a member of Phi Gamma Delta (FIJI), had a few other obligations after his football season ended. It was during Rhea’s sophomore year that he tried focusing more on his modeling career in addition to the rehabilitation process he would have to endure for his ankle.

Standing 6 feet tall and weighing 165 pounds with a smile that catches the attention of many females, Rhea is the perfect stature for a model.

“My uncle played one year of football in the NFL, then became a photographer, and the first pictures he took were of me when I was five or six.”

Rhea also said that it was at that time he and his parents received offers from well-known companies such as Polo and Ralph Lauren to use him in photo shoots. However, his parents wanted their son to wait until he became older to begin a career.

That career began in May 2003 when Rhea signed a contract with Click, in NYC. Rhea spent the following summer living with his uncle in NYC, working for Click and also preparing for the upcoming football season.

“I didn’t know how time consuming modeling would be. I didn’t do much early in my career,” he said. “My summer after sophomore year things really started picking up, so I had to be in NYC a lot more.”

Rhea said his coaches and teachers have been very supportive of his career after Rhea informed them how important it was to him.

“Last spring I missed a month of classes while working in three different countries in Europe,” he said. “It really took its toll.”

My work for the day could take 15 minutes or it could be an 18-hour day. I make anywhere from $500 a day to $10,000 a day. But from that my agent gets 20 percent, taxes are taken out and I also have bills to pay.”

Rhea lives on campus at La Salle but also rents an apartment in NYC. His modeling achievements include being featured on American Eagle shopping bags and appearing on the soap opera One Life to Live.

Rhea’s lifestyle finally caught up with him in August 2006. After a few conversations with his parents and his football coach, Rhea decided that he would not be playing football after college. With his modeling career escalating, and the reality of balancing football in Philadelphia and modeling in NYC, it became impossible. He finally decided to leave the football team, a decision Rhea described as “a tough strain.”

Looking back on the situation, “Everyone told me I couldn’t model, get good grades, run track, play football, pledge a fraternity, etc. I just thought that just because someone else couldn’t do it doesn’t mean I can’t do it,” he said. “It’s not that I failed. I just didn’t succeed at everything I wanted to do. Do I regret not playing football? No. Do I miss football? Yeah, a lot, but I’m building my career now.”

Though football is no longer a part of Rhea’s life, he is still competing on La Salle’s track and field team that competes for the Atlantic 10 Title year after year. He competes in the long jump, triple jump, high jump, and the 400 meter relay.

“I don’t regret anything because what’s done is done, and there’s nothing I can do about it now,” he said. “ I had a lot of fun. I met a lot of people, worked in four different countries and made good money,” Rhea said.

artyb1@lasalle.edu