<TriceEdneyWire.com> — For so many years as a journalist, I have written about science, racism, women’s rights, health, justice, legal matters, worldwide events, wars, politics and so much more. After looking at the NFL Football Draft this year, I decided it was time I wrote an article about sports.
I am a graduate of several schools popular for their sports teams. Among them, include: UCLA when Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was there; and the University of Southern California when O.J. Simpson was there. I didn’t graduate from the University of Michigan, but I did study there and follow football. However, I attended and graduated from Grambling University in Louisiana, and Grambling wasn’t as big as those schools. But in my heart, Grambling was always the greatest when it came to sports.
You see, Grambling not only had a great band, a great speech and dramatic arts department, a great basketball team and baseball team. Grambling had the best coach anybody could ever wish for—young men or young women. Obviously, I’m remembering the one and only great Eddie Robinson who began working at Grambling before I was born and remained for 57 years. Despite our age difference, he became one of my best friends and advisors.
Coach Robinson inspired so many young people, especially young men, to be their best in sports. Among them include: Doug Williams, Tank Younger, Everson Walls, James ‘Shack’ Harris, Trumaine Johnson, Larry Wright, Willis Reed, Rich Johnson, Aaron James, Bob Hopkins, Fred Hilton, Charlie Hardnett, and Rex Tippitt. Among them was the late Willie Davis who introduced me to professional football.
As I watched the recent NFL Draft, I thought of all the young men who now have great opportunities before them—especially young Black men. Their names were called reflecting the greatest in their chosen sport, and most of their families and friends were there to rejoice about the great opportunity which they were being presented.
If Coach Robinson were there with them, he would have told them about the great responsibility set before them. Everybody can’t be the greatest educator, the greatest doctor, the greatest lawyer—but their talents have already shown they can be the greatest in their chosen profession. And their responsibilities are no less as athletes than those in other professions. Young men who have not yet succeeded in anything because of a lack of opportunity can and do look up to successful athletes.
I pray that the happiness, the glee, the great and determined attitude and the emotion I saw in the draft will remain with them as they make us proud and inspire and help other young people in sports to follow in their footsteps.
Bud Clark, from my hometown in Alexandria, Louisiana was just drafted by the Seattle Seahawks. I have the same hope for success for him. As I closed this article, I was still waiting and pulling for Jacobian Guillory, also from my hometown in Louisiana, to be successfully drafted.
With Mother’sDay coming up soon, I want to congratulate all the Black women who were right there with their sons cheering them on from day one. I don’t disregard the fathers who were there, too, or who for whatever reason were not there at the Draft. But I now understand when young men do well in any sport, at the end, they shout out, “Hey Mom” or send a loving signal to her. I congratulate all the moms who sacrificed (so often alone) to get their sons to where they are now. It’s on these young men to make Mom, Dad and the family proud during their career in the National Football League.
