Nothing illusory about it. Athletes aren’t paid to be role models, they’re paid to compete in their sports. And most of them tend to be pretty flawed people. I grew up in the North Dallas 40 era when we all knew athletes were mostly womanizing alcoholics and shouldn’t be role models. Role models come from the home, that’s the job of parents.
Purposes exist in life (job descriptions including)...and then there are by products (role modeling)
If you were right, Collins of LSU would have gone in the first or second rounds of the draft.
If Collins' on the field ability was all that mattered, then he'd probably not be a Cowboy today.