Hill Watch...136 days!!!

North Carolina Highway 136 is a 2.22 mile state highway that runs from the west end at US 158 to the east end at a parking lot and boat launch in the community of Poplar Branch on the Currituck Sound in the northeastern corner of the state.

Forgot the 50th anniversary of Hank Aaron's 715th home run last week (I'm ashamed). I saw this on TV as a youngster. Aaron hit his 713th homer against the Astros on the next to last day of the 1973 season, but could not tie the record on the last day. He received a lot of love and support during the offseason, but sadly also received a lot of hate mail and even death threats. He hit #714 to tie the record vs the Reds on the road to open the 1974 season. Then on April 8, in the 4th game of the season at home vs the Dodgers, in the 4th inning after a 2nd inning walk, Hammerin' Hank sent a 1-0 pitch from Al Downing over the left centerfield wall of Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium to become the new home run king. The moment was epic to watch. A couple of crazy fans from the crowd of 53,775 followed him around the bases.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=oOV47D36rlg

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136 - Terry Witherspoon was Featured in 136 Plays from Scrimmage

Apr 17, 2024, 5:01 AM

Mentors matter. Investing in people matters. Clemson FB Terry Witherspoon’s life was changed because somebody cared enough to help him change it.

Witherspoon’s Clemson story (1997-2000) started well before his playing days for the Tigers. His story includes a dedicated mentor – and a lot of perseverance!

Before Clemson:

Terry Witherspoon was underperforming academically in his Monroe, NC high school. But, he was a star on the football field. According to ClemsonTigers.com:

“As a high school football star out of Monroe, NC, Witherspoon played five positions, tailback, fullback, tight end, linebacker and defensive end. He earned all-conference accolades three consecutive seasons and was named an All-America his senior year, ranking among the top eight fullbacks in the country.

On the field, Witherspoon seemed to have everything going for him. Off the field, however, things had not always been so smooth.

As a freshman he began to get into trouble at school, and teachers noticed that his grades were slipping. He was referred to the Transition Program, a counseling program for students at risk of dropping out of school, where he met Sandy Deskins.

“Terry had a tremendous amount of potential,” said Deskins. “He was a man-child, meaning he had a big physical body, but he acted more like a kid.”
…
Then, Deskins found out that Witherspoon wasn’t coming to school at all, and she decided to take matters into her own hands.
…
“I had worked with so many young people, and this was one that I just wasn’t going to let fall through the cracks.”
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Deskins approached Witherspoon’s mother about having him move in with her and her husband, Doc. “His mother has five children, and they lived with a great-grandmother because his mother was in and out of the house a lot working a second-shift job,” said Deskins. “His mother knew that Terry was having some problems, and she wanted to see him get straightened out. She agreed to us taking him and helping him get his act together.”

https://clemsontigers.com/witherspoon-sets-sights-on-nfl-career/

Wow! True caring requires action. Kudos to counselor Sandy Deskins (and to her family as well) for taking action that put the entire family’s caring front and center.

But, the Deskins weren’t done showing true caring through actions. According to GoUpstate.com:

“Terry wasn't sure he was ready for the Deskinses' strict discipline. ''I told him I wouldn't treat him any differently than I treat my own (two) children,'' Deskins said. ''I told him he would have to sit down for at least an hour and study every night.''

After considering his options for two weeks, Witherspoon decided to move in with the Deskins family. And they went to work on creating a future for him. If he was going to play professional football, Witherspoon needed to go to college. That meant he would have to work at scoring highly enough on standardized tests to be admitted. He took the PSAT as a sophomore and scored a 550, well below the NCAA standard for admission. As the holidays approached, Deskins asked Witherspoon what he wanted for Christmas.

Smiling, Witherspoon asked for a gold chain and a car. At first Deskins' jaw dropped, but eventually she asked her husband about setting a goal for the boy. ''My husband is wonderful,'' she said. ''He just agrees to anything.'' They decided to buy Witherspoon a car if he scored the 700 on the SAT needed to qualify for a college scholarship. Immediately, Witherspoon began seeking the SAT preparation materials in the house as soon as he arrived home from school. Within a few months, he had scored a 710 and received a red Geo Tracker.’

https://www.goupstate.com/story/news/2000/08/12/pushed-over-the-top-counselor-behind-fullback39s-drive-to-college-education/29624104007/

That is truly investing in the next generation! But, the work was far from over with Witherspoon. According to the ClemsonTigers.com article cited above:

“By his senior year, Witherspoon’s overall grade-point average had increased from barely a 1.0 to just under 3.0, meeting the NCAA’s freshman criteria of a 2.5 GPA in 13 core classes. He just needed to score a 900 on the SAT to be eligible to play as a freshman.

Witherspoon studied with Deskins, who he now refers to as mom, night after night. “After I did my regular studying, we pulled out the study books to help me prepare for the SAT,” he said. “I studied for months just to prepare for this one test.”

He took the test several times during high school, and his score kept climbing, but he still hadn’t gotten the 900 he needed to play his first year at Clemson.”
…
The marketing teacher at the school, who also coached junior varsity baseball, offered to proctor the test. He had never taught Witherspoon, never coached him and never advised him, so he seemed to fit the strict requirements the NCAA places on high school teachers who administer the SAT.

Two months before Witherspoon entered Clemson he took the test one final time and scored a 930, 30 points higher than he needed to play football as a freshman.

“I was so happy because I thought I was finally cleared with the NCAA to play,” said Witherspoon.

Deskins called Clemson to report the score when she discovered that the high school had to send a letter to the NCAA confirming that the teacher who administered the test didn’t work for any high school or college athletic department.

It seemed that since the teacher that administered the test was a junior varsity baseball coach, the 930 Witherspoon worked so hard to earn wouldn’t count.

“The teacher never taught me or coached me,” said Witherspoon. “I had no association with baseball in high school. My score only jumped up 40 points from the test before, so it seemed like the NCAA would see that there wasn’t a huge increase in my score and know that this wasn’t my fault.”

https://clemsontigers.com/witherspoon-sets-sights-on-nfl-career/

But, true to form, the NCAA did NOT see that this was not Witherspoon’s fault or responsibility in any way – and they denied the score.

While at Clemson:

Witherspoon was forced to take the exam all over again in September. He did and scored 890 - 10 points shy of the score to play as a freshman. Terry Witherspoon was now a partial qualifier. He was allowed to stay at Clemson, but he could not play as a true freshman. He also would be forced to meet additional requirements in order to be eligible to receive a fourth season of eligibility during his fifth year in school. To the surprise of no one, the NCAA got another decision wrong that hurt an athlete who had done nothing wrong. Certainly, Witherspoon had nothing that was within his control.

https://clemsontigers.com/witherspoon-sets-sights-on-nfl-career/

According to Sports-Reference.com, Terry Witherspoon was featured with the ball in 136 plays from scrimmage (135 carries and 1 reception):

Terry Witherspoon (1997-2000):
- 135 Carries for 452 Yards (3.3 Average)
- 6 Rushing Touchdowns
- 1 Reception for 10 Yards (10.0 Average)

https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/terry-witherspoon-1.html

But his story of perseverance continued. The GoUpstate article cited above was published on his Graduation Day:

“Many times it took extra effort for Witherspoon to pass his classes, but he succeeded because he never hesitated to ask for help. ''He has been a great kid,'' said Bill D'Andrea, Clemson's director of student-athlete enrichment. ''He has been really a joy to work with. He takes advice, he follows up on things you say to do. He always was responsible and dependable, and he was a good communicator.''
…
Witherspoon's football ability never was in doubt. His true accomplishments have been in the classroom, where he studied many long hours to become eligible for this fourth season. He will wear cap and gown at 11 this morning during commencement ceremonies at Littlejohn Coliseum, where he will receive his degree in Technical Human Resources Development. His mother, sisters and cousins will be with him, as will the Deskinses. Sandy Deskins has been told to wear a dress that is a size too big. If she doesn't, she might burst her buttons as she swells with pride. ''We worked so hard and so long, and it has hit me that Terry has finally done it,'' she said. ''When someone has come this far, you can't keep from being proud of the hard work he has done.''

https://www.goupstate.com/story/news/2000/08/12/pushed-over-the-top-counselor-behind-fullback39s-drive-to-college-education/29624104007/

After Clemson:

Terry Witherspoon signed with Dallas as an undrafted free agent in 2001. According to Pro-Football-Reference.com, he played in three games for the Cowboys in 2001. He registered one reception during those three games for 9 yards.

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/W/WithTe00.htm

And, according to Wikipedia:

“Witherspoon was signed as an undrafted free agent by the San Diego Chargers after the 2001 NFL Draft. He was waived on September 3. He was signed to the practice squad on September 5. He was released on October 9.

On October 22, 2001, he was signed to the Dallas Cowboys' practice squad. On December 22, he was promoted to the active roster. He played in the last 3 games, blocking for running back Emmitt Smith. He was released on April 22, 2002.

On April 23, 2002, he was claimed off waivers by the San Diego Chargers. He was released on August 25.

On February 5, 2003, he was signed as a free agent by the Cincinnati Bengals. He was released on August 18.”

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terry_Witherspoon

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Clemson: Academic Excellence! Athletic Excellence!

Hill Watch...136 days!!!

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136 - Terry Witherspoon was Featured in 136 Plays from Scrimmage

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Spooooon!***

Slowly but Shirley!!! We're getting there!!

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Good morning MfO!

Good Morning MyFO! A peanut butter and nanner sammich ain't all bad.

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Lets go Tigers!!***

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Go Tigers!!!***

Go Tigers!***

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Awesome !***

Roar!

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