Ok, I'm not normally a commenter but I need to join the ranks to defend the decision this man made which in my opinion was the only one he could make in this situation.
A: He was not simply choosing a sport over education, he was choosing a team full of people that relied on him and that he'd been spending hours of his life with every week to get to that championship. Anyone who'd ever played a competitive team sport will tell you that isn't a decision, your team is your family (I play varsity rugby, I know how he feels)
B: As multiple people have stated it's not as though a man of his intelligence and skill isn't going to win scholarships, and he can simply re-apply for Rhodes next year.
He chose giving up one (but not the only one he'll ever have) chance at the Rhodes scholarship to not let down his teammates on a route that will lead him to a career that would make him famous and potentially rich. As long as he doesn't drop out of Yale to play football as a pro I don't see how he's shunned or dropped his education for sport
GOOD JOB WITT, anyone who's made a tough decision between their own good and that of their friends or team mates respects your decision.

I told the tall, blond and very tanned surfer boy at Athlete's Wearhouse that after I finished buying rugby cleats I was going to a Magic tourny. He asked me if I could pull rabbits out of hats and I replied "Oh no, you're confused I meant the card game."