NEWS

Rolle wins NAAAA Watkins Award

By Leland Stein III

LOS ANGLES - The National Alliance of African American Athletes (NAAAA) established in 1989, has as it stated goal: “Empower young African American males through athletics, education and public programs.”

To this aim, recently at the Le Meridien Hotel in Beverly Hills, the premier African-American high school scholar/athlete award in America, the Franklin D. Watkins Memorial Trophy Award, was announced at a Black-Tie Gala.

Emerging from the “Elite Four” Watkins Class of 2006 as the 15^th annual winner was All-American running and defensive back, Myron Rolle. The graduate of The Hun School of Princeton in Atlantic City, New Jersey carries a 4.0 GPA.

“I see the benefit of valuing education,” Rolle told me. “Sports have afforded me visibility and I have met people from all over and I see the impact education has had in their lives.”

He beat out a fine class that included offensive guard Bryant Browning, 4.0 GPA, Cleveland, OH, Glenville High School; running back Terry Grant, 3.5, Lumberton, Miss, Lumberton High School; and defensive tackle Gerald McCoy, 3.5, Oklahoma City, OK, Southeast High School.

All have received athletic scholarships to the following universities: Rolle is headed to Florida State, Browning to Ohio State, Grant to Alabama and McCoy to Oklahoma.

Rolle, Grant, Browning and McCoy join an eclectic mix of men that are at universities achieving in the classroom and on the fields of play at Texas (Justin Blalock), Stanford (JR Lemon, Michael Craven, Jason Evans, Emeka Nnoli, Allen Smith and Emeka Udofia), UCLA (Marcedes Lewis, Robert Kibble, and Shawn Oatis), Washington (Shelton Sampson), Tennessee (Cody Douglas), Georgia (Mohammed Massaquoi and Mario Riley), Florida State (Ernie Sims III), Virginia (Kai Parham), Duke (Vincent Oghabaase), Notre Dame (Darius Walker), Northwestern (Sam Cheatham), Ohio State (Ted Ginn Jr.) and Michigan (Douglas Dutch).

Other Watkins Award Alumni include Darnell Dinkins, Ravens; Ronald Curry and Grant Irons, Raiders; Robert Tate, Cardinals; Shane Battier, Memphis- NBA; Deryck Toles, Colts; Lorenzo Alexander and Nick Maddox Panthers; Chris Lewis, Cardinals; Lavar Arrington, Redskins, and of special note are Marcus Houston, Maurice Hall, Aaron Henderson, Raki Nelson, Jason Capel among others.

At the Awards Gala in Beverly Hills, where former Piston and Laker, John Salley, was the keynote speaker and the emcees were actress/model Claudia Jordan and actor Alphonso McAuley, the memory that sticks in my mind is that almost all of the former Watkins Award winners were in attendance and they collectively welcomed the class of ’06 at the Black Tie dinner.

It was a powerful site to see some of the top athletes in America celebrating their status as scholars as well as athletes

There is an old saying and it goes: “Show me the company you keep and I’ll tell you who you are!”

Grant noted: “I did not realize there were so many African-American athletes that are motivated and value education like me.”

McCoy concurred: “I had no idea it was this big. I’m elated to be a part of this incredible group of scholar athletes.”

Browning interjected: “Seeing this group of men has only motivated me more. The Watkins Family is unlike any group of men I’ve been around.”

The Alliance, a non-profit organization boast an athlete advisory board consisting of Salley, the new Chairman of the Athletes Advisory Board, taking the place of the late-great NFL Hall of Famer Reggie White. Teyo Johnson, Clyde Simmons, (Retired); Warren Moon, NFL (Retired); Frank Thomas, A’s; Mario Elie and Charlie Ward-NBA (retired) and others.

The Franklin D. Watkins Memorial Trophy Award was initiated in 1992 to promote academic excellence among young African-American males. As unavoidable role models on the "image" front lines, talented athletes-especially in football, basketball and baseball-define what the emerging generations of African-American males will value, and the aspirations they will have.

Since the first award in 1992 was given to Tate, it has evolved into a truly special undertaking. The applicants complete a comprehensive packet that includes an essay, four letters of recommendation, official transcripts, athletic awards, extra-curriculum activities and community service. From 100 or so applicants, a nation-wide selection committee narrows the field to the final five or four young men.

“We have come from very humble beginnings,” explained Everette Pearsall, the Executive Director of the NAAAA. “We did the first Award in an auditorium and it was just a plaque. But we did envision it would become what it has today.”

From a plaque to one of the finest hand crafted trophy I’ve ever seen. Jostens Inc., through its Renaissance program, produces an elegant Franklin D. Watkins Memorial Trophy for the winner and plaques for the runner-ups.

After being held in Charlotte, N.C. in recent years, the Gala moved to Beverly Hills for ’06 and will return for the ’07 Watkins Award presentations, Teen Summit and Synergy Sports Conferences.

“It was phenomenal having the Watkins in L.A.,” said Reggie Grant, Watkins Award Co-Chairperson, former NFL player and the linchpin behind the L.A. effort. “I think the black-tie, seeing the families and the over 30 Watkins alumni welcome the Class of ’06 into the family was an awesome thing.”

The true significance of the Watkins Award can be captured in one word- "EXPECTATION". We expect Watkins finalists to be leaders in school, on the field and in their communities, and these young men have proven to be more than up to the task.

Visit www.naaaa.com online for more information.

Leland Stein can be heard on 107.5 every Sunday from 11 p.m. to midnight. He can be reached at lelstein3@aol.com.

Photos from the weekend