Conjure up an image of the perfect 4.0 student. You know the type. Scholarly, serious, hard-working. Logs tons of library and computer lab time. Suits up every day in a helmet and pads for some quality time on the gridiron. Huh? Yes, that's right. Some of Carnegie Mellon's top scholars are football players. An unprecedented 13 players earned 4.0 GPAs during the 2010 season.

—Elizabeth May