They do work. They work quite hard, actually.
There is a large time commitment. They are expected to attend practice, meetings, workouts, do film study and travel to and from games all over the country. Even in the so-called off season they are required to lift weights, attend and participate in captan's practices, train, etc. There are incredibly high expectations placed on college football players. Their work environment is extremely high-risk — just take a look at the number of players on a weekly basis who can't play because of injuries. Players routinely sustain concussions that can lead to dementia. Broken bones, knee injuries, shoulder separations, etc., are all simply routine in college football. They are considered part of the game.