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FEDEX ORANGE BOWL: WAKE FOREST v LOUISVILLEJanuary 1, 2007Ray Ray McElrathbeyFahmarr McElrathbeyMIAMI, FLORIDA THE MODERATOR: I want to introduce the 2006 FedEx Orange Bowl FWAA Football Writers Association of America Courage Award winner. This is Ray Ray McElrathbey, who plays at Clemson University. Because of a set of circumstances in his life, he has had the opportunity to take on the responsibility of caring for his 12-year-old brother Fahmarr. This was an award that was created back in 2002, honoring a player who has either overcome adversity or shown courage above and beyond anyone else within college football. So with that, I want to congratulate you, Ray Ray, and if you can just kind of open up with a comment for the media here on what it means to you to have this sort of attention and also receive an award of this caliber. RAY RAY McELRATHBEY: I believe it's a blessing. I'm thankful, grateful, very appreciative. I read about all the other nominees for the courage award, and they are equally deserving of the award. I'm grateful, and I believe Fahmarr is grateful to be here, so I thank everyone. THE MODERATOR: Fahmarr, do you want to talk about Miami and what you think of this town so far. FAHMARR McELRATHBEY: I think it's a great town right about now because I like the hotels and the warm weather. THE MODERATOR: We aim to please, so we're glad that you're happy. Let's open it up to the media, if there's anyone who has a question you want to ask either one of these guys about the award. Q. Ray Ray, can you just make a comment on how since all this started earlier in the year things have settled -- if things settled down in yours and Fahmarr's lives a little bit and gotten things stabilized for you? RAY RAY McELRATHBEY: So far so good. From the beginning, I mean, everything happened real fast. Things have kind of settled down for the most part. It's not as much of a story as it was at the beginning, but it's still kind of catching. But for the most part, I mean, as far as the trust fund and everything that has been set up for -- he's in school, I'm in school, kind of getting into a routine, trying to build good habits for the most part. So on that part of it, everything has been going good. I guess eventually the media will come down with it. It's been kind of stabilizing so far. Q. Congratulations, Ray Ray. What's been the toughest part about the juggling act? A lot of football players will tell you that it's tough enough to juggle football and class, and you've got the third element. So what's been the toughest part about it? RAY RAY McELRATHBEY: Actually the third element (laughter). I guess football and class, if you do your best and you take time for it, it'll handle itself. I don't think you can ever actually just be -- well, you can strive to be a great parent but you can't set it up so that you are a great parent because at my age, I'm 20, I can say, yeah, I don't have a clue for the most part, so I'm kind of taking it as it comes. With that being said, just that's probably been the hardest part because, I mean, I can plan for what I'm going to do but I can't plan for what he'll do because I'm not sure what he'll do. I can tell him, I can try to teach him, but it's still his decision at the end of the day. He's at the age where he can make his own decisions, but I can influence him and I can try to lead him in the right direction, but still, it's on him. So for the most part, that's probably the hardest part. Being a student athlete, after your freshman year it becomes routine because my freshman year everything was kind of new, but now it's kind of routine, so you're prepared for that. But with a kid, being a parent, I can't prepare for it. I can only hope for the best and plan. Q. How permanent is the situation? Is your mother coming along and would Fahmarr eventually go back to his mother? Do you expect to go through the next three years at Clemson with Fahmarr at your side? RAY RAY McELRATHBEY: I spoke to my mom just recently at the Bowl game, we talked about it, and with her and her addiction, she is recovering. She's doing real good with that. But that being said, we talk about it, and it's always been a problem with her that when she's done and she's out of rehab and she's somewhat stabilizing, we kind of throw all the kids at her because there's eight of us and we kind of throw all the kids at her and that's never been good. We did that, just the fast track. It's not always the best thing for her. As I learned, being a parent is very stressful. That's with one kid. We normally have three at a time, so there would be three of us, then six of us, and that's never worked. So we talked about it and we said we're going to let her do everything she needs to do as far as get herself set up where it is just not as soon as she gets out we throw kids at her. For the most part it's a pretty permanent situation, I believe. So we'll go from there. Q. Fahmarr, what's this year been like being around a football team and being in a different place to live and being around your big brother? FAHMARR McELRATHBEY: I think that the year was one of the best years of my life because I had a good Christmas, good Thanksgiving dinner, got to see my family, got to see my brothers and my sisters, got most of the things that I wanted for Christmas. I got to hang around with the football team. They're trying to help my brother get me a Christmas present that they couldn't find anywhere else in America. Q. Did they get you one? FAHMARR McELRATHBEY: Not yet. They can't find it. Q. What is it? FAHMARR McELRATHBEY: A Nintendo Wii. RAY RAY McELRATHBEY: They're nowhere. I'm serious. They're nowhere. We all looked. It was an equal effort on my teammates' part and everybody else at Clemson, but nobody could find it. That being said, he'll be all right. THE MODERATOR: Guys, thank you very much. End of FastScripts |
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