Anyone who knows me knows I love college football. The best part about summer is that we are getting closer to football season and the websites and ESPN are stepping up their coverage of the upcoming season. However one of the first stories I read this week really disturbed me. I am a huge ACC fan and so watch a lot of ACC football (go Hokies), one of the teams I caught a few times last season was Clemson. Anyone who happened to watch a Clemson game probably heard the human interest story that the networks could not get enough of. The story was about a Clemson running back named Ray Ray McElrathbey. McElrathbey grew up in the rough part of Atlanta without a father and a junky mother. With his mother's condition, McElrathbey spent much of his childhood living in foster homes that were often not much better then his own home. During this time McElrathbey found that he had a talent playing football and excelled to the level where he was offered a scholarship to play at Clemson. By itself this is a great story, a young man who overcame a challenging life to go on get a college degree. I am the first to say that I do not believe the images athletes portray themselves to be, the Kobe rape trial is evidence of that, but from all accounts McElrathbey is a stand up young man who made it. Yet the story gets better.
While McElrathbey was living the good life as a college scholarship athlete only having to worry about classes and having fun, his 11 year old brother Fahmarr was growing up in the same foster care system that he did. McElrathbey decided to take action and fought for guardianship of his younger brother in order to give him kind of life and stability he never experienced. Of course this meant sacrifice for McElrathbey, his time and his life were not his own, raising an 11 year old is not easy. Between school and practice, much of McElrathbey’s time was used up, and with the time left, instead of acting like most college students, it was now taken up by Fahmarr. Fahmarr became a staple at Clemson practices, becoming the unofficial mascot. McElrathbey wanted his brother there where he could not get into trouble. Even the NCAA stepped up and allowed McElrathbey to receive money to help pay for his brother, proving the NCAA may not be as heartless as they seem, though I doubt it. Again if this story ended with last year’s season, it would be a great story. Young man making it out the streets of Atlanta and sacrificing his college years to give a better life for his brother, but unfortunately there is more.
Based on Clemson’s success over the past few years, Coach Tommy Bowden got a bumper crop of young talented recruits, including running back. McElrathbey was never a starter and in fact rarely saw the field outside of special teams, so in order to make room for the new class of backs; McElrathbey had his scholarship taken away. If you read my blog than you might remember a recent post I called Was Blind But Now I See. I spoke about Frederick Douglas the famed Abolitionist and run away slave. I said more young minorities need to copy his example and fight to make themselves better. McElrathbey seemed to be doing just that. His story could have been like so many others who come from the Atlanta streets. He had everything against him, yet he never gave up. He found something he was good at and worked hard to improve his life, and like Douglas after he succeeded he helped the life of someone else. Then one day it was all taken from him. What I would ask Clemson and all major sports programs is, does not character matter? Would that one extra scholarship to a new freshman really make that much of a difference, the way it would for the McElrathbey brothers. Every day in locker rooms around the country coaches talk of character and characteristics like loyalty and not doing anything on or off the field to bring dishonor to their team and school. Well today Clemson has brought dishonor to its school. We ask for people to stand up and work hard and not be part of the problems but part of the solution, and when they try we owe it to them to help. I hope Bowden refrains from talking about loyalty and character this year. As for the McElrathbey brothers, they will be fine. From all accounts they have the kind of character that Clemson can only talk about. Ray Ray is looking to transfer to where he can continue college. The Brothers will have some hardship in the future, but they have endured worst and together will continue onward.
While McElrathbey was living the good life as a college scholarship athlete only having to worry about classes and having fun, his 11 year old brother Fahmarr was growing up in the same foster care system that he did. McElrathbey decided to take action and fought for guardianship of his younger brother in order to give him kind of life and stability he never experienced. Of course this meant sacrifice for McElrathbey, his time and his life were not his own, raising an 11 year old is not easy. Between school and practice, much of McElrathbey’s time was used up, and with the time left, instead of acting like most college students, it was now taken up by Fahmarr. Fahmarr became a staple at Clemson practices, becoming the unofficial mascot. McElrathbey wanted his brother there where he could not get into trouble. Even the NCAA stepped up and allowed McElrathbey to receive money to help pay for his brother, proving the NCAA may not be as heartless as they seem, though I doubt it. Again if this story ended with last year’s season, it would be a great story. Young man making it out the streets of Atlanta and sacrificing his college years to give a better life for his brother, but unfortunately there is more.
Based on Clemson’s success over the past few years, Coach Tommy Bowden got a bumper crop of young talented recruits, including running back. McElrathbey was never a starter and in fact rarely saw the field outside of special teams, so in order to make room for the new class of backs; McElrathbey had his scholarship taken away. If you read my blog than you might remember a recent post I called Was Blind But Now I See. I spoke about Frederick Douglas the famed Abolitionist and run away slave. I said more young minorities need to copy his example and fight to make themselves better. McElrathbey seemed to be doing just that. His story could have been like so many others who come from the Atlanta streets. He had everything against him, yet he never gave up. He found something he was good at and worked hard to improve his life, and like Douglas after he succeeded he helped the life of someone else. Then one day it was all taken from him. What I would ask Clemson and all major sports programs is, does not character matter? Would that one extra scholarship to a new freshman really make that much of a difference, the way it would for the McElrathbey brothers. Every day in locker rooms around the country coaches talk of character and characteristics like loyalty and not doing anything on or off the field to bring dishonor to their team and school. Well today Clemson has brought dishonor to its school. We ask for people to stand up and work hard and not be part of the problems but part of the solution, and when they try we owe it to them to help. I hope Bowden refrains from talking about loyalty and character this year. As for the McElrathbey brothers, they will be fine. From all accounts they have the kind of character that Clemson can only talk about. Ray Ray is looking to transfer to where he can continue college. The Brothers will have some hardship in the future, but they have endured worst and together will continue onward.
3 comments:
It would seem that if he didn't qualify for a football scholarship, then with his leadership qualities and his integrity that the campus could find a leadership or presidential scholarship to make up for an athletic one. I am disappointed in Clemson, but I was a USC fan anyway!
I have mixed feelings here. On the one hand he is not entitled to anything and the Clemson athletic program is not a charity. On the other hand, as Robyn is suggesting, there must be another way to get the rest of his education paid for. One would think that Clemson would see the value of having such a person be part of their community and would get the money lined up for him before it broke the news about the scholarship. Had they done that, I think we could all understand their actions. As it is, this is a pretty big black eye for them. This kid is getting yet another real life lesson about your ability to count on institutions.
One thing I learned from this is that scholarships are not garenteed, but are year by year. Once again I agree with Matt, Clemsom only has so many scholarships to hand out, but as Matt and Robyn said I am suprissed out of their own self interest that they do not reward him with something. As popular of a story as it was last year, it is bound to be discussed every time Clemson has a game on TV. This will make their PR guys go nuts all year.
James
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