Lights. Camera. Action.

Last fall, hundreds of men donned their helmets, then prepared for 60-minute wars on college turf.

Last night, 32 of these men dressed in suits and stepped onto the red carpet to start their NFL careers.

Although NFL prospects soak in the spotlight of fame while the league’s commissioner, Roger Goodell, reads their names and announces their future teams, these rookies face the spotlight of scrutiny that comes with fame, money and the profession.

Yet, when athletes sign multi-million dollar contracts, scrutiny is their ticket price.

When social media dominates the public arena, the line between privacy and publicity in the sports world also grows increasingly thin.

Yesterday, former Ole Miss Offensive Tackle Laremy Tunsil — projected as a top 10 draft choice — fell as a “sport stock” when a video of him allegedly smoking a bong from a gas mask was leaked from his hacked Twitter account less than 15 minutes before the draft began.

Immediately after the Miami Dolphins drafted Tunsil 13th overall, another hacker leaked an alleged text message chain suggesting that Tunsil had accepted money from an Ole Miss coach.

Admittedly, these actions do not necessarily define Tunsil as a person, nor indicate how he will mature in his football career. Whether draftees or multi-year veterans, the actions of professional athletes and the resulting consequences have repercussions that extend beyond themselves.

As Harker athletes leave this protected bubble and compete on the collegiate level, I hope that they flourish in the limelight.

Put your Eagles up.

This piece was originally published in the pages of The Winged Post on May 4, 2016.