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Rams share pregame meal with Rescue Mission
WSSU giving back to community
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Published: November 7, 2009
A dose of reality never hurt anybody.
Winston-Salem State took time Saturday morning during their pregame breakfast at Kennedy Dining Hall on campus to share in a meal with about 15 men from the Winston-Salem Rescue Mission. The homeless men enjoyed mixing in with the players and sharing stories.
Assistant coach Sherman Simmons, who helped organize the breakfast, had all the players sign a football and senior Kevin Dorsey presented it to Kim Wolverton, who is a counselor at the Mission. The group also attended the game later in the afternoon between the Rams and Delaware State at Bowman Gray Stadium.
"This was a great meal for us and for them to take the time to let us come here on a game day like this says a lot about them and Winston-Salem State," Wolverton said. "It's just a blessing for us to get to come here and enjoy a nice meal."
One of the men, who is named Ivar, went through the buffet line and then sat down at a table with seven other football players. He introduced himself and listened to the players talk about the game.
"Seeing all these young people and having them welcome us here makes me feel good," Ivar said.
Offensive lineman Travis Taylor introduced himself, and one of the homeless men shared a story.
"Some of them are veterans in the military or whatever," Taylor said, "and one guy I talked to, I think his name was John, told me he was making $60,000 a year and had a good job, but he ended up making some wrong choices and now he's homeless."
Taylor said that while the Rams have been struggling this season and maybe feeling a little sorry for themselves, yesterday's breakfast put things into perspective.
"He told me just me to always keep God first, keep your head on straight and everything will be all right so it's nice to learn from these guys," Taylor said.
Mike Ketchum, the defensive coordinator, said that sharing a meal with the folks from the Mission is a lesson for everybody.
"It puts football in its place," Ketchum said. "One of the things I talked to the defense about on Monday was everybody was frustrated with the loss (to Hampton) but you can't let that frustration affect your character or how you perceive yourself and how you fit in the world, so this will help."
Said linebacker Marcus Coates: "These people don't have homes to go to so you appreciate everything you have in life."
Coach Kermit Blount says he often tells his players how lucky they have it, and the breakfast was a way of showing them.
"We are fortunate enough to get three meals a day," he said, "and all we have to do is go to class, compete and play football."
Taylor said that getting a chance to share a meal with the men from the Mission opened his eyes.
"It shows you reality," Taylor said. "It shows you that you can't forget where you came from and what can happen to you. These are people you can learn a lot from. These are life lessons."
jdell@wsjournal.com.
727-4081
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