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For any of you who have read some of my previous submissions to
DeathRattle you will know I have had it up to here with some of the
crap that has invaded NCAA sports. I recognize we live in a me first
and instant gratification society, but who says we have to like or
accept it. Coaches who jump teams or break rules sicken me. Yes I do
give the players a bit of slack because I do buy into the boys will be
boys excuse, but even with that caveat there is enough stuff going on
out there that just makes you wonder.
With the above in mind you will understand I am a sucker for a "feel
good" story. I was reminded recently by comments made to one of my
previous articles "feel good" stuff doesn't win games or put butts in
the seats. I acknowledge the comments made by "Clemson Grad" are
correct. At the same time, I continue to believe college sports should
be about more than wins and butts in the seats.
With the above preface, below you will find an article that first
appeared in the Toledo Blade June 1, 2003. I recently saw this article
on Rivals.com. I enjoyed it and thought you might.
Drushaun Humphrey was an outstanding RB/LB recruit from
Toledo, Ohio. He verbally committed to play for the Buckeyes and then
headcoach John Cooper. Dru died playing a pickup basketball game prior
to his senior year. Below is the Toledo Blade article.
Article published June 1, 2003
Toledoblade.com
Ring brings pride, solace to mother
Twelve days ago, Ohio State University football coach Jim Tressel
honored a former recruit who never played a down for the Buckeyes.
In a quiet, simple ceremony at Rogers High School, Mr. Tressel
presented Jeanelle Sturdivant, the mother of deceased Rogers football
star Drushaun Humphrey, with a national championship ring commemorating
Ohio State's 14-0 season.
Mr. Humphrey, who rushed for 1,222 yards and 21 touchdowns as a junior
running back, died of an apparent heart attack while playing basketball
on April 30, 2001.
He would have been part of Mr. Tressel's second recruiting class at
OSU. The coach thought so highly of the powerful 6-3, 240-pounder with
sprinter's speed that he offered him a scholarship before his senior
year, based on that one season at Rogers.
Following the Buckeyes' double-overtime victory over Miami in the
Fiesta Bowl in January, associate athletic director Archie Griffin
approached Mr. Tressel with an interesting proposition:
What about ordering a national championship ring for Mr. Humphrey and presenting it to his family?
Although Mr. Tressel didn't know Mr. Humphrey personally, Mr. Griffin
had met the youngster at a football camp. Mr. Tressel liked the idea
and gave Mr. Griffin the go-ahead to petition the NCAA for a ring for
Mr. Humphrey, who would have been a member of last year's freshman
class at OSU.
When Mr. Tressel scheduled a recruiting visit to Rogers on May 20 to
meet with coach Rick Rios regarding senior-to-be wide receiver Fred
Davis, it afforded him with the perfect opportunity to deliver Mr.
Humphrey's ring.
Mr. Rios called Ms. Sturdivant with the news April 30 - ironically, the
anniversary of Drushaun's death. Ms. Sturdivant said she was
emotionally overwhelmed - both by the timing of the call and by the
unsolicited display of kindness shown by Ohio State.
"I have my bad days and my good days. Some days I really struggle," Ms.
Sturdivant said of coming to grips with her son's death. "The pain
never goes away.
"When Coach Rios called me on Drushaun's anniversary, I didn't really
relate the date to what he was telling me," she said. "I thought he was
calling to cheer me up. I was in shock at first. I didn't expect
anything like that. I mean, why? He didn't get to play there.
"It was a wonderful gesture."
When Mr. Rios informed Ms. Sturdivant of Mr. Tressel's impending visit,
she surprised herself when she told Mr. Rios she wanted to meet Mr.
Tressel.
Originally, Mr. Tressel intended to give the ring to Mr. Rios while
visiting with the Rogers coach to discuss young Davis, one of the top
high school players in America.
"This was the coach my son would have played for in college," said Ms. Sturdivant, her voice growing quiet.
Ms. Sturdivant and Mr. Tressel met for about 20 minutes, making small
talk and visiting the Rogers gymnasium and trophy case where Drushaun's
football memorabilia is prominently displayed. It was her first visit
to Rogers in two years.
Of special interest to Ms. Sturdivant was an Ohio State football jersey
with Mr. Humphrey's No. 6 enclosed in a frame, which Mr. Tressel
presented shortly after Drushaun's death.
"I saw the jersey before, but I never saw it hanging on the wall," she said.
Ms. Sturdivant thanked Mr. Tressel for everything.
"I told him, `You didn't have to do this.' Coach Tressel told me it
wasn't his idea, that Archie Griffin deserves all the credit," Ms.
Sturdivant said.
That's a compliment to Mr. Tressel's practice of routinely deflecting
credit to others. And why Ms. Sturdivant and Mr. Rios believe Mr.
Tressel and the Buckeyes are sincere with their gesture.
The easy and cynical assumption to make is that Mr. Tressel presented
the ring to strengthen Ohio State's chances of signing young Davis.
Not so, according to Mr. Rios.
"Coach Tressel didn't want anyone to know about this," Rios Mr. said.
"He could have made it into a big deal, but he wanted to keep it quiet.
This was between him and Drushaun's family."
Mr. Tressel, with his low-keyed demeanor and his life-before-football
viewpoint, declined comment for this column. According to Ohio State
athletic spokesman Steve Snapp, Mr. Tressel considers the ring ceremony
to be a private matter and not for media consumption.
"Coach Tressel's a very personable guy. He's not the one who recruited
Drushaun. [John] Cooper actually recruited him. Coach Tressel didn't
have to come here," Ms. Sturdivant said.
"He was nothing like I thought he would be. He made me feel at ease. He
didn't ask questions. We just talked. We talked about the funeral
[which Mr. Tressel attended]. He talked about how the pastors spoke
about Drushaun going back to church and how the kids at the service
were all affected by his death."
They even discussed Ohio State's never-a-dull-moment running back
Maurice Clarett, who would have been Drushaun's teammate and major
competition at running back.
"He told me, `You've got to stay on him,'" said Ms. Sturdivant, laughing at the memory. "I said, `Him and Drushaun both.'"
When Mr. Tressel presented Drushaun's national championship ring to Ms.
Sturdivant in Mr. Rios' office, she looked at it for a moment - before
pushing it back.
"I just looked at it. It was overwhelming. It was beautiful," Ms.
Sturdivant said. "But actually I was uncomfortable. I started to push
it back to coach Tressel."
Ms. Sturdivant had one simple question for Mr. Tressel and Mr. Rios: "What am I supposed to do with this ring?"
"Coach Rios told me, `It's yours, Momma,'" Ms. Sturdivant said.
So she kept it because of her love for Drushaun and because some
important people who cared about her son went through a lot of trouble
to honor him.
"Coach Tressel told me the rest of the team won't get their rings until
later. They special-ordered Drushaun's ring," Ms. Sturdivant said
proudly.
One half of the huge diamond-studded ring, which includes the
inscription of Drushaun's name, details Ohio State's Fiesta Bowl win
over Miami in the national championship game. The other half details
the regular-season victory over Michigan.
"Coach Tressel said that when you beat Michigan, you've got to put that on your ring," Ms. Sturdivant said.
When she regains control of her emotions, Ms. Sturdivant said she'll write a thank-you letter to Ohio State.
"I have to get my thoughts together first. I mean, how can you thank somebody for doing something like this?"
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Hey thanks for bumping this back up. I complet...
