Relevant research regarding athletes' learning experience is relatively rare among the existing educational research in disadvantaged groups. Under the education system in Taiwan, academic achievement is much emphasized over athletic skills. Therefore, schools tend to be labeled as a negative environment for athletes. Purpose: This study explored the learning experience of academically successful student-athletes to show how unfavorable their past learning environments were. Method: In-depth interviews were conducted to four formal academically successful student-athletes. Said's "the other" theory and Fannon's postcolonial theory were adopted in the data analysis. Results: According to the interview data, student-athletes were easily defined as "the other" in the dichotomy of the good student/bad student. This situation caused student-athletes to suffer from misidentification; further, it might even make student-athletes accept the identity of "the other" and form the phenomenon of anti-intellectualism. The misidentification was unfavorable for student-athletes' learning. Conclusion: It is regrettable that, even though some student-athletes strive to be successful in their academic achievement, they may be easily defined as "the other" by the mainstream culture. Consequently, these individuals are likely to present the resistant attitude toward the identification of athletes.