MILITARY’S RETURN TO RULE DIMS ATHLETES’ PRO HOPES

Secretary of Defense James

Mattis signed an order rescinding a 2016 policy that allowed graduates of the military academies to defer their two years of active duty while playing professional sports. The order applies to service academy athletes graduating in 2017, including Air Force Academy wide receiver Jalen

Robinette. Air Force’s all-time leading receiver was expecting to be a middle- to late-round draft pick but went undrafted after the Air Force announced Thursday, in anticipation of the impending policy change, it would not approve requests for a deferral of active duty. A person informed of Robinette’s plans told USA TODAY Sports the receiver was planning to lobby officials at the Pentagon, White House and Congress that he should be grandfathered in under the 2016 policy. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation.