Arkansas High School Football Player Ends Game with Noble Gesture

[_Simpson_ 250]

Sportsmanship appears to be a dying philosophy.

Then something like this comes along, to show adults how it should be done and what real class means.

Appears I was more right than I knew.

Nope your still wrong. I refuse to let the few represent the many.

[zqt3344 21]

What Bull $hit is this? Col BG you are letting us down! We need controversy not love and peace ####### or sportsmanship!

Thamail Morgan took the kickoff and headed up the field. He was at the 20 ... 30 ... 40

He had been avoiding, dodging or just simply running through tacklers on the way. Football always had come easily for Morgan. This game was no different. By the time he hit midfield, only open space was ahead of him. The two-time Arkansas all-state selection was headed for a touchdown.

40 ... 30 ... 20

He glanced at the clock and saw the final seconds ticking away. He realized his team, Cave City, was on the way to a victory over Yellville-Summit, comfortably ahead, 34-16. He also realized two other things: This wasn't an ordinary game. And he wasn't the same Thamail Morgan.

When he reached the 2, he stopped. He took a few steps back and took a knee at the 5-yard line.

.....

Yelleville-Summit is a co-op program, a combination of two small rural schools in the northern part of Arkansas, near the Missouri border. Combining the schools allows them to field a football team. But even then, the squad is so small that coach Calvin Mallett has to bring extra uniforms in case a lineman gets hurt and someone needs to fill in.

On Sept. 11, before a game with Salem, the schools came together for a pep rally. Afterward, four of the players piled into the bed of Kymball Duffy's truck to head to his house for a pre-game meal.

According to Marion County Sheriff Roger Vickers, this is what happened next.

As Duffy came over a hill, he quickly came upon a brush pile in the road. Duffy swerved into the other side of the road, attempting to avoid it. He lost control of the truck, sending it into a tumble.

The four players in the back - whose names are not being released - were thrown from the vehicle. Miraculously, three of the players in the back suffered only minor injuries. A fourth remains in the hospital but appears to be headed for recovery. Duffy was killed at the scene.

The game with Salem was cancelled.

The town held memorial services for Duffy, then decided they needed to continue the season as part of the healing process.

Before taking on Cave City, the most seriously injured of the four players in the back of the truck, spoke to the team from his hospital bed.

Players from Yellville-Summit and Cave City met at midfield before the game for a moment of remembrance. Players on both teams were a No. 72 decal - Duffy's number - on their helmet.

The game began and Cave City quickly scored. Minutes later, it scored again. And again. All hope for a storybook ending appeared lost.

......

Thamail Morgan is the type of player who can dominate a high school game. On every play.

Last year, playing for Newport in a state playoff game against Heber Springs, he had 15 tackles, a sack and two forced fumbles on defense. He had 145 yards receiving and two touchdowns on offense.

He was coveted by most Division I programs in the South. Then it all changed.

In January, he violated an unspecified school rule that banned him from athletics for a year. Morgan would be eligible for basketball during his senior season but not football.

A year away from football would hurt his chances of gaining a scholarship, so - after considering a number of options - he transferred roughly 40 miles away to Cave City. His scholarship offers did not travel with him.

"Before I screwed up and got myself into trouble, I had some schools like Arkansas, Florida State, Ole Miss, and some other big schools looking at me,'' he said. "Now they are not looking at me, but I have no one to blame but myself for that. Hopefully I can get on someone's radar, even if it is a lower level D-1 or D-2 school."

Cave City coach Jon Bradley was willing to take a chance on Morgan. But only if he met certain conditions. He not only is required to attend extra weight lifting and conditioning exercises, he is required to participate in after-school activities with a local church and meet with a pastor on a regular basis for counseling.

"Everyone makes mistakes," Bradley said. "Thamail made some mistakes that did not allow him to play football anymore at Newport, and we knew what those mistakes were when he came here. I sat him down and talked to him, and let him know I was willing to give him a chance, but there were certain things that he would have to do in order to play for our program.

"So far, he has accomplished, and continues to do everything he has been asked to do, and then some. He has transitioned well and the kids here have accepted him. He is doing well in class, and is a leader on the football field and is a great athlete. We feel fortunate to have him."

....

Morgan did not do this completely on his own.

"We were on the sidelines yelling for him not to score," Bradley said. "Some of the players on the field were saying it, too. But I'm not sure how much he could have heard all of it."

He heard it, Morgan admitted. But he didn't need to.

"Before the game, we as a team talked about being classy,'' he said. "We did not want to come out in a game like this and not show any class.

"As I was running, some of my teammates told me not to score, and I knew that scoring was not the right thing to do."

He was glad to be a part of what happened.

"I just want to thank my teammates for not only being classy all night, but pushing me to be classy as well,'' he said.

The gesture was well received.

"We weren't sure how gloomy they would be before the game,'' Morgan said. "They had gloom, but it was not as bad as we thought. We met before the game, and they told us that they did not want us to feel sorry for them, and they did not want us to back off just because of what happened. They wanted us to play them like we would have if Duffy has still been there with them, so we did.

"After the game, they complimented us, and even thanked us for the way that we played them. They are some really cool cats, and I wish them the best of luck with their healing process and the rest of their season. I hope they make the playoffs."

http://arkansasvarsity.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=992976

[Gary and Alla 3,696]

Sportsmanship appears to be a dying philosophy.

Then something like this comes along, to show adults how it should be done and what real class means.

Sorry. Disagree. He EARNED a touchdown. There is nothing "sportsmanlike" about shaving points off the board and if you later found out he was working for a bookie, you would scream bloody murder. There is nothing unsportsmanlike in claiming the prize you earn, fair and square, through your efforts. It is an insult to the other team he did this. It is the ultimate insult, the ultimate "playing field demonstration" to actually lay down and not take what he earned...because he doesn't need it to defeat such an unworthy opponent. Did he spit on them as he jogged back leaving the ball on the playing field. May as well have.

This is a creeping thing in our society that somehow we do not DESERVE what we ear and should give it to someone else. It is also a gesture that the opponent was incapable and he was "going easy on them" I preferto play fair and square and if you clean my clock fair and square I will shake your hand after the game. Were I on the opposing team I would demand an apology for this condescending behavior.

REAL class is a perosn that does his best, claims his prize for his efforts and treats his opponent with respect and honor. This is NOT honorable, this is horrifically insulting

No matter what happens with this man life he will always remember this moment in time and hold his head high. He will be fine I think whatever comes his way.

BS!!!!! My son would be writing a letter of apology or better, asking to address the other team AND their school with his apology for his total disrspect of them. He also would lose the keys to the car for two weeks minimum.

I take it, Gary, that you never played team sports....no surprise there.

Played, coached. Two of four sons have paid for college education (full ride) with scholarships for team sports. Another gets most of his college paid doe tohis academic acheivements and is in his thrid year of college at age 18. He will have a masters degree at age 20. The fourth is in 11th grade at age 14 and will graduate high school just after he turns 16. Neither of them would talk down to a lesser academic student and neither would skip a test or homework because "they don't need it". We had to take the youngest out of school early this spring for family business and the school said "no problem, he doesn't need the rest of the year" I said, "No, it is a problem, he will return in July after studying the lessons his teachers give to him and take his final exams like everyone else". He will ACHIEVE what he can achieve and not take a free ride from anyone or insult anyone by acting as though he is special.

I would have jerked a knot in either one of my sons if they had EVER pulled an insulting stunt like this. They won and lost fair and square and I am proud of them for being sportsman and gentlemen.

You should not ever make assumptions about me, I know of what I speak or I won't say it.

You're the kind of coach I would have never wanted to play for...and I'd take my kids off your team if you expressed that attitude. And 'yes', I've coached too.

I am sure you would not want to play for someone that demanded your best effort, and as insulting as some of your posts are, there is little doubt you would also do something like this and then try to pass it off as a "good gesture". it is clear from your points of view about life in general. No need to do your best, skim it off from someone else that DOES do their best, make them evil, demonize them, tax them and hand it out to ne'er do wells. I could have guessed your opinion right away and wrote your post for you.

Had your kids been on my team and given less than the full effort, I would have cut them, you wouldn't need to take them off the team.

What is your son getting his master's in and how the hell did he get it at 20? That is REMARKABLE!

The winning team already beat the living sh_t out of the losing team. How is running from end zone to end zone on the last play and then kneeling down on the one yard line being noble? I think they were 2 quarters too late!!! If the team wanted to be noble they could have kept it a close game, took it to OT, and then slaughtered their opponents like wolves in sheep clothing!

Physics. At a top rated university to boot! He could probably tell you the probability of this kind of thing happening and when and where.

[Gary and Alla 3,696]

Sportsmanship appears to be a dying philosophy.

Then something like this comes along, to show adults how it should be done and what real class means.

Appears I was more right than I knew.

Nope your still wrong. I refuse to let the few represent the many.

You are only wrong about what sportsmanship is. Sportsmanship is putting forth your best effort and accepting what results, good or bad, and respecting the other guy by giving your best effort, which means when you EARN a touchdown, you MAKE a touchdown. You can always sleep well if you know you did your best. You should give no less and no one should expect more. You do not lay the ball down and say "nyah, nyah" which is what he did whether he said it or not. I am conserned about the amount of people that THINK this is being a "good sport"

[Marilyn. 340]

I wonder if you actually read the whole story.. I don't think the guy was rubbing their obvious win in the face of the other team by not scoring that last touchdown.. he was doing it as sign of respect for the teammate who died on the other team..

[rebeccajo 14]

Damn, people have to quit copying your posts in reply Rebecca. No I do not care what he thinks (or you for that matter). I express my own opinion based on my own beliefs and experiences, I do not ask The Col. what he thinks before I make up my mind. I support my opinion with logic and reasoning, not insulting one liners. It is easy to see who the posters are that think this was NOT insulting and why. Life is just a happy camp and everyone should be happy. No one should suffer humiliation or a big loss...ever. Even though it honors them to do so and teaches them a lesson. They need to expect the better person to lay down for them. They will need affirmative action to get a job if they do that. People need to do their best, be encouraged to do their best and take pride in what they achieve for themselves, their team and their family. I do, and make NO APOLOGIES for it and never will.

This BOZO is ANYTHING but selfless. If he were selfless, he would have made the touchdown and gone back to his team and shook the opponents hand like 10,000 anonymous high school football kids all over this country every Friday night. NO. He pulls a stunt that gets him his "15 minutes of fame" for what? A NON achievement. This is Kanye West at the awards show. Tajke something wehich is really nothing and trun it into 15 minutes of fame for yourself. And you call that "selfless". Yes, Kanye is selfless because he did it for Beyonce, NOT for himself. He is a social welfare legend in the making. He has a bright future with ACORN.

And yes, I answer questions and help people in the "upper forums" first before coming here. But I do not see you painting me as a hero for that gesture. No need to, it is something I can do, so I do. I am all in favor of educating and informing people so they can do it themselves.

For somebody who doesn't care what I think (or anyone else for that matter) you sure ramble on and on with your 'opinion', don't you?

I don't think this story is about typical sportsmanship or even about class. At least not entirely.

I think it's a story about a young man who had it all going for him until he made a mistake. That mistake cost him dearly but someone decided to give him a second chance. He knows the odds are against him insofar as ever achieving his original goals - if you know as much about college as you say you do, Gary, you'll know he's got a snowball's chance in hell of every being recruited into a conference university.

I think it's a story about a change in character - a change in focus and someone who has learned where temporary glory ends and really being a man begins. He had nothing further to prove by going for the final touchdown - the win was already there. But he did have a chance to show mutual sorrow for the loss of someone who never will have the second chance he was given.

[Gary and Alla 3,696]

I wonder if you actually read the whole story.. I don't think the guy was rubbing their obvious win in the face of the other team by not scoring that last touchdown.. he was doing it as sign of respect for the teammate who died on the other team..

Then he should respectfully play the game. He EARNED a touchdown, NOT taking it is not respectful to anyone, especially not a dead person whom I will presume enjoyed the game and fair competition.

One has to wonder...if the person that died opened a place for him on the team, would he refuse that also?

[웃 910]

It is not showing sportsmanship or being "noble" to beat the other team to a bloody pulp, and on the last play, make the team look like a bunch of fools and pansies by running from endzone to endzone, and then instead of scoring, walking a few yards back and kneeling on the 2 year line.

The real NFL teams show sportsmanship all the time. If there is less than 1.5 minutes remaining (and the other team is out of time outs) the quarterback will simply hike the ball and kneel down to let the clock run out.

What this player did was catch a kickoff with a few seconds remaining and instead of kneeling down when he caught the football, he ran from one end of the field to the other, making the other team look like a bunch of sissies.

"He had been avoiding, dodging or just simply running through tacklers on the way." Why would he do this last second when the team was already up by more than 2 touchdowns (34-16). They had no chance of coming back.

If he wanted to be noble he would have kneeled the ball where he caught it; Not after he ran through the entire football team.