In late 2006 the story of Ray Ray McElrathbey, a running back at Clemson, spread across the nation. Ray Ray, 19 years old at the time, formerly adopted his 11 year old brother from their broken home (mom addicted to crack and father addicted to gambling). Ray Ray became Fahmarr's legal guardian. 19 years old. Most college kids that age are worrying more about what party to go to rather than what movie he and his brother should watch. The NCAA then allowed Ray Ray to take aid from the school in the form of food clothes and babysitting, a very rare feat. All was well.
Then Tommy Bowden showed his true colors. In March 2007 he announced that Ray Ray would not be returning to the football team. They were pulling his scholarship because "we're pretty good at running back." That is pathetic. Where is the allegiance to a young man who is staying in on his weekends to take care of his brother. He washed cars and mowed lawns in his free time in order to provide more for Fahmarr. But Bowden decided that he was not the kind of kid he wanted in his program. Recently a Clemson safety was arrested on assault charges for strangling his girlfriend. Now that is a good judge of character on Bowden's part.
Ray Ray, however, has found a new home, Howard. He announced this week that he will transfer to the school because of it's academics. He will indeed take his brother with him. The two should have no problems, they have overcome a lot more than the cold-hearted Tommy Bowden.
1 comment:
There's a little bit more to it than that. Ray Ray, who had already been in academic trouble before, stopped going to class, started coming to practice when he felt like it, and started using his brother as an excuse when he clearly wasn't (friends of mine on the team as a source say that Fahmarr was being taken care of like the NCAA said Clemson could do.) Btw, the assault charge is very suspect as there have been plenty of witnesses to step up and present stories that contradict the victims story in huge ways. Even ESPN has pulled the story from its website. Not attacking you, just try and do a little rooting around before blasting someone. I'm certainly not a Tommy fan either and I was irate too, but you've got to see it both ways. Tommy didn't come out and say all this so that he could protect Ray Ray from the media and help him get into Howard.
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