graduation day...20 Years Later

20 years ago today...I did it. December 14, 1996

I accomplished one of the biggest goals that I've ever had.

I graduated from college.

I totally enjoyed every minute that I spent at South Carolina State University. I went there as a young boy and left as a man. When I graduated from high school, I really didn't appreciate it because it was just a stepping stone in my eyes. But this was different. This was where I wanted to be.

As a football player, I spent many hours in Oliver C Dawson Stadium. But there were none more important than the 3 hours of our commencement ceremony. I was happy to have my family, friends, and crew there to see me graduate. Many of them watched me play on Saturdays in that stadium. But the cheers that I got when I crossed the stage were the most important cheers that I'd ever receive.

I remember it like it was yesterday. It was in the low 50s so I tried to stay warm during the ceremony. Ken Chenault, the first African American CEO of American Express, spoke at the ceremony. I don't remember much of what he said but I do remember one thing.

He said...

"Never be too busy blazing your trail to stop and look back at where you have come from."

Those words never left me.

I'm thankful for the 5 1/2 years at South Carolina State (the business department was no joke...lol), the good and the bad experiences...they were life lessons. I'm thankful for the people who were in my life before I got to college and those who came into my life during college. The experiences helped me into the man that I am today. Those people helped me become the man that I am today. There's no way that I would be where I am in life without them. Many of you who will read this...are very responsible for this. The growth and maturity that I gained while at SC State was immeasurable. I took so much from the university. There's no amount of money that I can give back to repay the school for what it did for me and the lessons that I learned while being there. I am a loyal son of Her. A member of the Centennial Class (1996).

Bulldog for life.

I bleed GARNET & BLUE.

PODCAST : 12 vs 27

True friendships are rare.

Friends that become brothers are even more rare

How did two young men meet in college on a football field and become brothers?

Two young men who grew up just 9 miles apart for more than 13 yrs but didn’t know each other until they met at South Carolina State University.

Listen to their story as they talk about various topics spanning from…attending South Carolina State, playing football, being a student athlete, music, college life, playing practical jokes on each other and various topics.

Be prepared to be entertained and be prepared to laugh as they share stories that will crack you up.

co-hosted by Moe

we present to you...

12 vs 27


LISTEN BELOW...

12 vs 27 (show preview)

True friendships are rare.

Friends that become brothers are even more rare

How did two young men meet in college on a football field and become brothers? 

Two young men who grew up just 9 miles apart for more than 13 yrs but didn’t know each other until they met at South Carolina State University.

Listen to their story as they talk about various topics spanning from…attending South Carolina State, football, being a student athlete, music, life, and various topics. 

Be prepared to be entertained and be prepared to laugh as they share stories that will crack you up. 

Check out the 12 Radio Show tonight!!

9pm-11pm EST

(347)215-7162

Co-hosted by SloMoetion

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/12kyle/2015/10/08/12-vs-27

laces

*repost from Jan 2010*

Sports can teach you life's lessons

I learned that early and I'm still learning it.

I remember my high school football coach, Virgil Wells, telling me...

"Son, your job is to catch the ball. You have the ability. When the ball is the air, you treat it like it's yours. You focus on it. No distractions! You don't wait for the ball to come to you. You go and get it! Your focus on the ball should be such that you see the laces on the ball the moment that it's in the air."

Coach Wells' words have always stuck with me.

When I was younger, I used to wonder if he was talking about football or life's opportunities?

Now that I've gotten older, I realized that he was talking about both. Opportunity is just like that ball. Focus.

Unfortunately, Coach Wells passed away while I was in college at South Carolina State University. I regret that I never got a chance to tell him thank you for those words. Even though Coach Wells is no longer here, I'm glad that he told me.

And I'm glad that I listened. Thanks Coach

Check out Dead End Sports tonight at 9pm est

If you've been under a rock for the past few months (lol), then you may not know that I host the Dead End Sports Show every Tuesday night at 9pm est. 

Check out Dead End Sports! This is the place where sports opinions collide. Dead End Sports is a weekly talk show covering college football, the NFL, college basketball, the NBA, baseball and more. We rarely agree.

On this week's episode we'll discuss the NCAA Tournament, the NBA, NFL Free Agency, sports and hip hop artists and much more.

Check out our website deadendsports.com . Follow the show on twitter: @deadendsports as well as the Dead End Sports crew...Feefo - @feefo247 , Beezy - @beezy430 , Ken - @kbinge , & 12kyle - @12kyle

You can listen online (http://www.blogtalkradio.com/deadendsports/2014/03/12/dead-end-sports) or via phone (646)478-0356. Press #1 if you want to speak to the host. You can also send tweets if you want to have your questions answered or comments to @deadendsports

graduation day

17 years ago today...I did it. December 14, 1996

I accomplished one of the biggest goals that I've ever had.

I graduated from college.

I totally enjoyed every minute that I spent at South Carolina State University. I went there as a young boy and left as a man. When I graduated from high school, I really didn't appreciate it because it was just a stepping stone in my eyes. But this was different. This was where I wanted to be.

As a football player, I spent many hours in Oliver C Dawson Stadium. But there were none more important than the 3 hours of our commencement ceremony. I was happy to have my family, friends, and crew there to see me graduate. Many of them watched me play on Saturdays in that stadium. But the cheers that I got when I crossed the stage were the most important cheers that I'd ever receive.

I remember it like it was yesterday. It was in the low 50s so I tried to stay warm during the ceremony. Ken Chenault, the first African American CEO of American Express, spoke at the ceremony. I don't remember much of what he said but I do remember one thing. 

He said...

"Never be too busy blazing your trail to stop and look back at where you have come from." 

Those words never left me.

pictured here with 2 of my partners in crime...teammates & homies for life...Moe & Russell

I'm thankful for the 5 1/2 years at South Carolina State (the business department was no joke...lol), the good and the bad experiences...they were life lessons. I'm thankful for the people who were in my life before I got to college and those who came into my life during college. The experiences helped me into the man that I am today.

Bulldog for life.

I bleed GARNET & BLUE.

no winners

I'm a diehard Florida State football fan. I've been a fan since I was a kid.

You can imagine that I had more than a passing interest in the case against Jameis Winston.

Winston is Florida State's 19 year old redshirt freshman quarterback who has led the FSU team to being ranked number 1 in the country. Winston's phenomenal play has led him to being the leading candidate for the Heisman Trophy. Florida State, who is undefeated with 12 wins, is one win away from playing for the national championship game. On December 7th, 2012 a FSU student files a sexual battery incident report with the Tallahassee Police Department after initially contacting FSU Police Department. In January 2013, the complainant identifies FSU redshirt freshman quarterback Jameis Winston as the suspect to Tallahassee police. Tallahassee attorney Tim Jansen, representing Winston, is contacted about the case in February of this year. A week later, Jansen says, he was told by a TPD detective the case was closed. Winston was not interviewed by police or prosecutors. It wasn't until November that the case was reopened after several media outlets had inquired about the case.

On December 5th, it was announced by the district attorney that Winston would not be charged. There is a lot that happened here but I will spare you the details. After reading the police report, you have a 19 yr old female who said that she got into a cab and went to an apartment with Winston and 2 other men. She said she had been drinking and was raped. Winston's attorney said that Winston had consensual sex with the female. His story was backed up by the two men in the apartment, two Florida State teammates. They said that the door was open and they saw the female perform oral sex on Winston then voluntarily take off her clothes and have sex with Winston. At one point, the men said they walked in the room to "embarrass" Winston only to be yelled at by the woman who told them to "get out". The sports world was a buzz when a report leaked that they found Winston's DNA in the woman's panties that night. But they did not report that there was another man's DNA in her panties as well. It was from her boyfriend. This was all found in the report. The district attorney stated that they could not bring forth a case because of inconsistencies in the accuser's story. She had memory lapses and could not remember much of what happened that night.

She has a story.

Winston has a story.

The case took an ugly turn in two separate press conferences. Willie Meggs, the state attorney for the Second Judicial Circuit, announced the move during a news conference at the Leon County Courthouse. Winston had faced felony charges after being accused of sexually assaulting the woman at an off-campus apartment on Dec. 7, 2012.

"We've carefully examined all the evidence in this case and have concluded that no charges will be filed against anyone in this case," Meggs said.

Meggs began to take questions from the media and things got bad. Meggs had several jokes and there was laughter in the room. My thought was..."Why are you joking?" Even if you didn't believe her story...that's HER story. She said she was raped. Tell me the last time you've heard a good rape joke. It was tasteless.

Forty five minutes after Meggs' presser ended, Tim Jensen began his press conference. He stood and answered questions from the media. When responding to one question, Jensen began to insinuated that the accuser could be "like some women who go after athletes because they are targets." Huh? She said she was raped. I don't think she ASKED to be raped.

The sad thing about this case is that we'll never know what happen. Rape is always hard to prove. Based on what I've heard and read, I believe that Winston. That's not the fan in me. That's just what I see. I was once a football player at South Carolina State University. I was a high visible athlete on our campus...similar to Winston. I also found myself in a situation where I could have had sex with a woman who had been drinking...just like Winston. I didn't...but I could have. But I don't know the accuser nor do I know Winston. He seems to be a charismatic young man who happens to be a phenomenal athlete. But I know that as an athlete, you wear two faces. There is the face that you want people see and the face that you really have. It doesn't matter if I think this young lady is telling the truth or not. She said she was raped. That's no laughing matter. Her life will be changed forever. I feel for Winston. His life will be changed too. People will always associate this with him. Winston was never charged nor was he ever questioned by the police. If you believe his story then you see a young man who feels like he did nothing wrong.

There are no winners in this case. Judging from both press conferences, as a society, we have all loss.

the genesis...

August 4, 1991

I had waited for this day for a long time! I couldn't believe it was finally here. I remember it like it was yesterday. Two months prior to this day, I had graduated from high school. But this day had come...the day that I was to leave to go off to college. 

Some people would be nervous or anxious about leaving home. Not me. I had mentally prepared myself for this day for a long time. My school, South Carolina State University, was located just an hour and a half away. Not too far away from home...but not too close either. Graduating from high school wasn't a big deal for me. As much I loved my days at Wilson High School, I wasn't sad to be leaving. College was the place that I had dreamed of being. When I watched "A Different World" on tv, I envisioned my college experience being just like that. It wasn't far from it. LOL. Nevertheless, I was eagerly anticipating college. I had my concerns about leaving my mom and my brother, who was entering his sophomore year at Wilson. I knew he'd be fine. I knew mom would be fine. She had prepared me and we both knew it. My only other concern was my crew. We had become so close over the years. We all were headed to different colleges. Two of my other boys were headed to the military. I had my cousin, Eric, with me at South Carolina State and my boy JFresh was next door at Claflin University. I wanted the crew to remain as close as we had always been. I wasn't sure how it was gonna happen. There was no such thing as email nor free long distance calls. I also had football. I knew that it would keep me more than busy. 

Back to that day, I remember going to church then coming home and eating dinner. I remember the mood in the house was very weird. We didn't say much at dinner. I packed the van and my mom was going to drive me to school. My brother, Damon, didn't come. I remember walking out of my room and down the hall to his room. I was going to tell him goodbye. Deep down, I was dreading that walk. It seemed like it took me forever just to take those few steps. I walked in his room and he had his head down. This would be the first time that we would be apart. We had endured our parents messy divorce together. He lifted his head and I could see tears in his eyes. My eyes welled up. I gave him a huge and I gave him a quick pep talk that any big brother would. I told him he'd be ok. I reassured him that I was just a phone call away. I walked down the stairs and jumped in the van with my mom. That was the last day that I lived in my mom's house...last time that I lived in my hometown, Florence, SC...last time in the nest. It was time for me to go.

Although Eric was going to be a freshman like me, he didn't have to come to school for another 3 wks. I was on campus early because of football camp as we were preparing for the upcoming season. When I got on campus, I didn't know anybody. There were no other students on campus...just the football team. There is a HUGE difference between high school football and college football. I found that out very quick. For the first time, there were players REALLY better than me. Doubtful thoughts crept in. I was beginning to feel a little homesick. I remember wondering out loud if I was cut out for college football. I called my parents. Two phone calls...one common theme...you can do anything that you want but you have to work at it. And they were right. By the time school started, the homesick feelings left. I learned that I would be red-shirted (meaning I could practice but couldn't play in the games until the next year). It gave me a chance to get stronger and better. I needed that.

They say you learn more between birth and the age of 6 than you learn for the rest of your life. Well, I think I learned more during my freshman year of college than you could learn in two lifetimes. I learned...how to have productive days on very little sleep...how to party...about people and their ways...about the game that I fell in love with...about family...about women...about love...and so much more. I thought I knew it all before August 4th...but I knew very little.

More importantly, I found me and I was slowly becoming the man that I was raised and groomed to be. 

Gentle Giant

GIANT

To say that Orlando "Zeus" Brown was a giant is an understatement. The man stood tall at 6 foot and 8 inches. He weighed about 325 pounds when I met him in the fall of 1991. We were on the campus of South Carolina State University. He was my teammate. He was the biggest human being that I had ever seen. My first thoughts when I saw him..."Damn, I hope this guy plays offense like me." Fortunately, he did.

His mother nicknamed him Zeus because of her love for Greek Mythology.

On September 23, 2011...Zeus left this earth. He was only 40 years young. The news of his death shocked me. I'm still in shock. And while the cause of his death has not been determined, we mourn. Many of you reading this know what the media has reported about him...he played 11 seasons in the NFL for the Cleveland Browns & the Baltimore Ravens...he was once hit in the eye by an errant flag thrown by a referee that left his eye swollen, bloody and it caused him to push the referee and be suspended by the NFL...he sued the NFL for 200 million dollars (settled for 25 million)...he was one of the best to play his position when he played in the NFL...

I won't bore you with stuff that the media will tell you about the man. I'll tell you what I KNOW about the man.

Zeus was a GREAT player...but an even greater teammate. Zeus was one of the guys. He was a star but he always wanted to be one of the guys and not be treated like a star. One of my first memories of Zeus was during my freshman year. I had only been at school for a few weeks. I was getting homesick and I was down about not playing. Zeus stopped me in the dorm. He said "Aye young'n...where are you from? I saw you at practice today. Keep workin hard man. You're gonna play here." Those words stuck with me. I was surprised that an upperclassman would take the time to even speak to a lonely freshman! Two days later, he stopped by my room and said..."I'm going to get something to eat. Roll with me." I did. During that ride, I learned alot about my mammoth teammate. He was from DC (HD Woodson High School)...loved go-go music (which he blasted all the way to Burger King but I wasn't gonna tell him to turn it down)...how he earned his nickname, etc. I remember when we walked in...his 6 foot 8 inch frame dwarfed me at 5 foot 7 (150 pounds with rocks in pocket). I remember the looks and stares that we got when we walked in. Even though he weighed more than 300 pounds, Zeus wasn't fat. He was mostly muscle. Unlike most big people, he seemed very comfortable in his skin. He stood tall. Zeus was always smiling, laughing, and joking.

One of the other things that I remember about Zeus is that he was extremely competitive! He hated to lose! I remember being in the dorm one night and beating Zeus 3 consecutive times in Madden on Sega Genesis. I was talking trash. He said "Let's play again." I said "Man, I'm not playing you any more tonight, Zeus. It's almost 2am and I have a class at 8am." But he insisted...and I wasn't gonna tell the Big Fella 'no'. So we played and I won. The next day after we had both finished our classes...can you guess who was waiting for me in my dorm room to play again??? Big Zeus! He was determined to beat me! The ultimate competitor.

It came as no surprise to me that Zeus would be a success in the NFL. When you have the talent and the competitive nature that he had, he was destined for it. It wasn't a surprise that Zeus would go on to open a successful Fatburger restaurant in the DC area. I wasn't surprised to hear about his charitable donations to HD Woodson, SC State, and to the DC community. Zeus had it in him.

The last time that I spoke with him was a few years ago. Same ole Zeus. Crackin jokes and being who he was. You could hear the excitement in his voice when he spoke of his 3 sons. He was a proud father. I could only laugh because I remember him from school and I could see the growth in him. He was the SAME dude that he was the day that he stopped me in the dorm. No matter how much money he had. He was still one of the guys. He never changed. I never got a chance to hear him tell this STORY ABOUT HIS SCARY 9/11 EXPERIENCE in NYC (please click link and read). But I can only imagine hearing him tell it.

Zeus was a giant. A gentle giant off the field. He was almost like a big bear but you always wanted to be around a dude like that. I remember when he was in the NFL and he'd be on tv, I'd tell people..."That's my dude right there!" Since his death, I've gotten a few phone calls from former teammates who I hadn't heard from in years. I've been able to re-connect with some people on Facebook as well. Everybody had a story or a great memory of Zeus.

Guess you could say that this is mine.

Father, Brother, Son, Friend, Businessman, Teammate

Big Zeus...we're gonna miss you man! Rest in peace

12 RADIO

Tune in to 12 RADIO tonight at 9PM EST. 12 RADIO is the BEST and most interactive show on BlogTalkRadio.

Topic - Sports Wrap Up...

co-hosted by DivaDee and OJ (from the Way off Base Sports Show on BlogTalk Radio)...

(347)215-7162

show link...http://tobtr.com/s/1879747

We'll be discussion topics like...

1. Why do you think so many people wanted to see Lebron lose?

2. Excluding centers, name YOUR top 5 best players in the NBA

3. Should college athletes be paid to play? Why or why not?

a common bond

I watching the ring ceremony for the Boston Celtics the other night. The ring ceremony is when the Celtics, who won the NBA Championship last season, were given their championship rings. They were presented the rings before their fans before the start of their first game of the NBA season. The ring ceremony is also the last time that you are celebrated for the previous years success. This is a new season. Time to defend the title.

Watching the ceremony, I was able to reflect back to the day when I played football for South Carolina State University. During my junior year, we won our conference as well as the Black College National Championship. We were awarded the ring that you see above a few months after our magical season was over. I was blown away when i first saw it (yes..those diamonds are real. LOL.)

Much like the Celtics, through the experiences that we went through...it has created a bond between me and my teammates that will never be broken. We all have strong bonds. We have bonds with our family, crew, hood, frat/sorority, etc. There are only maybe a hundred people who have gone through some of the same experiences that I did to get that ring. I can't put into words how special that bond is. It's not like the bond that I have with my crew or my family. It's strong...but just different. And like the Celtics, when I see or talk to an old teammate...we can reminisce about what we accomplished and what we went through.

Like the Celtics, every teammate isn't gonna be your best friend. Shoot, you might not even like some of your teammates. Some dudes you wouldn't have a drink with. LOL. But at the end of the day, we share that common bond b/c of the experience that we shared together. When we see each other, it's all love...just like the Celtics. There are a select few of your teammates who become like brothers to you. Like I said before...it's a very unique bond.

So...in many ways...we're just like the the Celtics and the bond that we share with others can only be described in one word...CHAMPIONS!

mixtape monday

Eric B & Rakim
I Ain't No Joke




Run DMC
King of Rock




Pete Rock & CL Smooth
They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)




Black Sheep
The Choice is Yours (this or that)





Rob Base & DJ EZ Rock
It Takes Two





We have to kick off hip hop week with a mixtape monday. How was your weekend? How did your teams do this weekend? SC State beat FAMU on Saturday. And the Falcons beat the Green Bay Packers yesterday. It was a great weekend. As I mentioned yesterday, this will be hip hop week on the 12th Planet. Hope you enjoy it.

mixtape monday

Wu Tang Clan
C.R.E.A.M




Jay Z
Dead Presidents





LL Cool J
Round The Way Girl



Biggie
Dead Wrong





To all my football heads out there...how did your teams fare this weekend?

My school...South Carolina State...kicked azz on Saturday.

And what do you know...my Falcons won a game, too! This calls for a celebration. LOL

My fantasy team took a blow...but we'll be back next week. Belee dat.

Hollatchaboi!!!

kick it off

I'm the P, double-E, M-D-E-E
And one thing I hate, is a bitin MC
When I enter the party suckers always form a line
then they ease their way up, and try to bite my lines
I did thousands of shows, dissed many faces
and deal with new jacks, on a one-to-one basis
But every now and then a sucker MC gets courageous
and like an epidemic it becomes contagious
But never the least they all R.I.P
for all those unaware it means Rest In Peace
Cause M.D. -- stands for Microphone Doctor
And the capital P (capital P) capital M (capital M)
capital D-E-E's no doubt the chief rocker
Don't like to get ill, but if I have to I kill
So believe me boy, you gots to chill.. *echoes*

Parrish Smith of EPMD (You Gots Ta Chill)


I'm reminiscing right now. Like Pete Rock and CL Smooth. Reminiscing like Mary J on What's the 411. I miss it. Damn. I miss it. The smell of freshly cut grass. The summer heat. Kicking it with the dudes who you battle with. The roar of the crowd. I miss all of that. This is the time of the year that my body feels like it should be pushed more than I'm willing to push it. Even when I work out now...my body reminds me that this is the time of the year when I must be at my best. I haven't put on pads in 13 years...but I miss football. It was my first love. I still love her. I miss it.

Since it's that time of year, we gotta talk about it. The college football season is almost underway. The NFL training camps are beginning to open. It's almost time to kickoff the season. Let's break it down like this...good, bad, and ugly for your team(s)...college and or pro.

NFL
Atlanta Falcons

Good - ticket prices went down

Bad - Mike Vick is still in jail for fighting Sparky. We lost our starting tight end, running back, and cornerback. We just gave our #1 pick, Matt Ryan, a contract of 30 million and our offensive line sucks.

Ugly - We won 4 games last year...we won't win but 2 this year. There'll be more people in the parking lots than in the stands watching the game.

NCAA

South Carolina State University

Good - we're predicted to win our conference...again

Bad - We have to travel to Death Valley to play Clemson

Ugly - Our coach sucks. I don't think he's that good.

NCAA

Florida State

Good - the ACC ain't what it used to be

Bad - We still don't have a QB

Ugly - When is Bobby Bowden gonna sit his ass down???


What about your teams??? Hollatchaboi!