The Last Scholarship Pick

I would like for you to reminisce to your former school years. I bet that for the most of you recess was a major part of your early experience. C’mon you remember the running, the jumping, the monkey bars, and most of all the “choosing of teams”. The scene usually began when the two best athletes in the third grade would divide the class into two different teams. “I pick Tommy”; said the first captain, “okay than I pick Rickey” as you know this procedure would continue until the last two kids were standing. The captain with the next to last pick knew he had to make an important decision. “Which one do I pick, the guy with the thick glasses, or the kid with the two left feet”.

When I talk to people about my recruiting experience, I always think of myself as the next to last guy to get the scholarship. Of course, my ex teammate at Clemson, Ed McDaniel, would usually argue on who got the last scholarship. Ed went on to be a great college linebacker and an all-pro with the Minnesota Vikings and remains a close buddy of mine.

Yes, you guessed it; I wasn’t highly recruited coming out of high school. It was really an accident on how I was discovered by the coaches at the University of South Carolina. I come from a very small town in South Carolina and in 1985 there were no recruiting services or the internet. So there were a lot of guys who were good players but no Division 1A coaches came to my region to recruit players. My high school coach, Terry Syters, gave me the heads up that some coaches from South Carolina were recruiting a football player from the other team, which we were going to play that night. I had a great game and a week later I got a letter from South Carolina. The following week I received a letter from Clemson University. The University of South Carolina and Clemson University, offered me a full scholarship and I was never again the next to last kid to get chosen again.

This story seems like a tale that had a happy ending and I did have a great college experience and went on to NFL and had a successful career. That same night when I was being discovered, another player from the opposing team was having an even better night. Sylvester Mayer, a sophomore running back, gained 200 yards on our defense and scored three touchdowns. He was amazing and I knew for sure that I would see his name in lights or maybe at the Heisman ceremonies.

Sylvester and I crossed paths later on in my junior year at Clemson University. He came from a junior college somewhere in Arizona, and came to Clemson as a walk-on. He introduced himself and we became great friends for the next two years. We would work out together, hang out, and do what college guys do. This guy worked his butt off and was a pretty good player but he never played one down for Clemson. In his senior year, he quit the football team to focus on his studies. I never asked Sylvester why he quit the team because I already knew the answer. He wasn’t playing even on special teams and he had to pay for school himself. We all know that playing collegiate sports on a full scholarship is hard work but could you imagine playing sports with no financial aid.

I know that my friend has no regrets and is doing well for himself; but I can’t help but wonder how my life and others like me could have benefitted from what NCSA does as a company. We empower people and educate athletes and their families and lord knows my household needed that information. I believe that giving back; is our greatness gift and I looking forward to the journey of giving back to the athletic community, with my new teammate at NCSA.

May God bless you as you walk the journey of life.

Levon Kirkland, NFL All-Pro

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