When I read about Sony Michel, I had to do a double-take. While Sony is one of the top high school running backs in Florida (a state overflowing with football talent), he also happens to be in the 8th grade. Sony is 5-11, 187 pounds and runs the 40-yard dash in 4.47 seconds. Damn.

This year, Sony rushed for 1,285 yards and 18 touchdowns for Plantation American Heritage High school, leading the school to a 9 - 3 record. It is clear that Sony is an amazing talent and that the NCAA scouts are already licking their chops. So, here is some quick advice for Sony:

1) A mind is a terrible thing to waste: I've consistently advocated for college athletes and spoken loud and clear on how their academic achievement is put to the side in favor of athletic development. Black boys end up on the short end of that stick, as we trade in our intellectual development for false and misleading hoop dreams. Sony should understand that it is important to be just as good in the classroom as he is on the football field, for it is going to be his education that stays with him for a lifetime. If he chooses to remain uneducated, then the NCAA will be more than happy to use him up like the rest of the black men on their athletic plantation.

2) Don't believe your own hype: If you're good while you're young, it's easy to get complacent. Sony and others like him must understand that for every talented young athlete, I can show you 100 former talents who now spend their lives inside a liquor bottle. I hope that Sony Michel never forgets that no one is too good to flop and that there is always a higher level of performance to strive for. Keep your game tight brother, the battle is just beginning.

3) The NFL isn't all that it's cracked up to be: Most people don't know that NFL stands for "Not for Long," given that the average career of an NFL player is less than three years. Guys trade in their whole life hoping for a ridiculous dream of playing football forever, and find that the reality consists of a life of bad knees and empty bank accounts. Rather than thinking of the NFL as a final destination, Sony Michel and others like him should see professional sports as a stepping stone to a long-term career with good connections. But you can't take advantage of any of that without an education.

The theme here for Sony Michel and other black athletes is to GET EDUCATED. Football and basketball are nothing more than broken dreams for black men. If we were to put as much energy into exercising our brains as we spend carrying the ball for someone else, we would not always be the first in line to get pimped. The NCAA has shown consistently that black men are hired guns and not much else, so it is up to us to stand up and ensure that we are educated. Black athletes are the most powerful force in the world, but have relegated themselves to second-class citizenship. It's time for the madness to stop.

Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World coalition and author of the book, "Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about College." To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here.