He went from homelessness to graduating from one of the most prestigious academic institutions in the country. That’s not uplifting because he plays football?

Players can also now profit off of their name, image, and likeness. So not being exploited as much as they once were. Not to mention, there are different races and backgrounds that play sports. As for the “impoverished minority youth” that you are referring too, athletics can give them an avenue to get out of their situation.