I am not sure that it is wise to subsidize the output of lawyers, as they produce nothing.
Doctors, of course. We need doctors, as all are mortal and prone to disease and accidents.
Professional athletes do not really have all that great a career on average. The life expectancy of an NFL player is around 55. They get hit in the head a lot. Baseball and basketball players live longer. I am not sure about hockey players.
It is rather ironic that baseball players are not required to have anything to do with college. Most of the Dominican players do not graduate with more than an 8th grade education: they give them some bogus GED, I think.Hockey pros are not normally college students either, as I understand it.
And of course, most of them do not graduate from college with useful degrees, and in addition getting your skull bashed around every week is not conducive to success at any career.
A doctor can practice medicine until he is 65 or 70. A pro jock is extremely lucky to last until he is 40.