A successful college president is a strong leader and a team player — two characteristics also found in nearly half a million NCAA student-athletes. So it is no surprise that several college presidents were once college athletes themselves. The drive and dedication they showed while on the court or field continue to serve them well today, as they lead a university and make a difference in the lives of their students. NCAA After the Game caught up with six college presidents who not only understand the student-athlete experience, but lived it. And while these leaders might differ in background, division and geographic region, they all agree on the important role collegiate athletics played in their lives.

Read the complete NCAA feature article by Emily Weisman HERE.

Alan Cureton

Now: President of Northwestern-St. Paul

Then: Football student-athlete at Sterling College, where he earned a bachelor's degree in Bible and Christian education in 1976.

Additional education: Master's in education from Southern Illinois in 1979 and Ph.D. in history and philosophy of education and higher education from Iowa State in 1989.

How sports helped him become a leader:

"Participating on a football team was wonderful preparation for what I do today. On a football team, as a tight end, I learned how to work with a group of individuals toward achieving a common goal. As a lineman, my primary role was to protect other positions and to provide them with opportunities of success. My success as an offensive lineman led to others' success. If I failed, they failed. As a leader, my role is to create a pathway for others to succeed, to give them an opening, to create something that will enable them to be creative and successful, and then, to watch them succeed and receive the acclamation for their success. I learned that leadership was not about me, but about them. Putting others first. Protecting others. Giving others the opportunity to advance, downfield, so that they, and ultimately the team, could succeed. In my role as a college president, my focus is on assuring the success of our faculty, staff, and, most importantly, our students."

One of the biggest lessons he learned during his time as a student-athlete:

"The process of working toward a goal is where the joy resides. Attaining the goal is wonderful, but the joy of the journey is the process. So, enjoy and treasure the process as you work toward a specific goal or organizational vision."