BCSP Notes He Would Volunteer at Local Hospitals
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FOR THE WEEK OF APRIL 7 - 13, 2020 Lynch making a difference at Clark Atlanta From Forbes.com Former UNC and NBA stand- Former UNC and NBA player's non-profit looking out George Lynch, now the head to bring 6,000 computers to HBCU student-athletes men's basketball coach at Clark ™ in order for them to complete their studies Atlanta, has launched an initiative to provide HBCU student-athletes "At big schools, you might use HBCU Heroes' mission is to like his players with laptops to keep a pair of sneakers and then get an- provide a minimum of 6,000 donat- their studies on track. other brand-new pair for the next ed computers. Other HBCUs are in In an online Forbes magazine game. At our school, you get one line for upcoming computer dona- Alcorn State / Clark Atlanta Photos article by Chris Sheridan posted pair that you have to use for the en- tions. HBCU Heroes has also cre- SHAKERS: Former Alcorn Sunday, Lynch and his non-profit tire season." ated a consortium of athletes and State standout Nate Hughes organization HBCU Heroes "are The Panthers finished the sea- entertainers who have joined forces MOVERS (top) and Clark Atlanta head engaging corporate America and son at 14-16, 12-7 in the SIAC and with them to support this initiative AND coach George Lynch (bottom) gofundme donations" in the effort were knocked out of the confer- with donations and visibility. working to mitigate challenges brought on by the distance learning ence tournament by top-ranked and JP Morgan Chase Bank has SHAKERS from the COVID-19 pandemic. requirements that nearly all univer- eventual champion, Miles. Lynch already donated funding to support Clark Atlanta Sports Photos sities have had to undertake due to is 28-28 in his two years at CAU. this computer drive via its Advanc- LYNCH: As head coach at Clark MOVERS: ALCORN QB NOAH JOHNSON, JC SMITH RB the coronavirus pandemic. What led Lynch and his busi- ing Black Pathways initiative. That Atlanta from where he's launched EMMANUEL WILSON, COPPIN STATE C MEDLEY-BACON With little warning, Lynch's ness partner, fellow UNC grad enabled HBCU Heroes to donate HBCU Heroes engaging corporate America and gofundme donations student-athletes were told they Tracey Pennywell, to launch this 10 laptops to Grambling State to tackle distance learning challeng- would have to complete their se- computer drive is the need. University for its student-athletes. es for HBCU stduent-athletes. mesters through online courses, but “Many HBCU student-athletes "Our students are determined the problem was that many of them were using school resources, such to give this semester their best in alumni, philanthropists, profes- UNDER THE BANNER did not have computers or access to as computer labs or the library to spite of the dramatic shift to online sional athletes, corporations, orga- WHAT'S GOING ON IN AND AROUND BLACK COLLEGE SPORTS Wi-Fi. complete their assignments. Now learning from home. We are grate- nizations, etc. to donate to HBCU "Nine of my 13 players had 3.0 they have to find their own. Some ful for HBCU Heroes for helping Heroes so we can purchase and HUGHES ON COVID-19 FRONTLINE: grade-point averages or better, and are even going back to homes us provide them with the technol- provide as many laptops as pos- A USA Today story by Tom Schad from Friday (April I only had four scholarship play- where there isn't WiFi to support ogy they need," said Richard Gal- sible to support these students," 3) chronicled former Alcorn State ers," said Lynch who is in his sec- their school work. Something has lot, President of Grambling State Lynch said. football and track star Nate Hughes ond year at CAU. to be done to assist them," Lynch University. "Basketball will always be who went on to a five-year career in "I played at North Carolina, said. "It's important that we do not my passion," Lynch said. "As a the NFL. and what I have experienced at "Our goal is to ensure all allow HBCU students to be affect- coach, I just want to provide my Nearly eight years after his play- the small black colleges is totally HBCU athletes have the resources ed inadvertently by this pandemic. players with a great experience as ing career ended, Hughes is now a different from what it was like at to help them compete academically By supplying computers for these I had,"said Lynch, who credits his first-year resident at the University of UNC," he said. and athletically," said Pennywell. students, HBCU Heroes is keep- collegiate journey in part to legend- Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, "We want them to have exposure ing them properly equipped during ary UNC Coach, Dean Smith. Hughes Mississippi — one of the tens of thou- and opportunities." these ever-changing times," said Like many former NBA play- sands of health care workers at the center of a global war Lynch, who played at UNC Grambling alum Everson Walls, ers, he wants to maintain a connec- against the coronavirus. from 1989-93, was a first round former Dallas Cowboys player who tion to the game, but he is learn- Hughes, who is training to become an anesthesiologist, pick in the 1993 NBA Draft by the also won an NFL Super Bowl with ing that life after the NBA brings said, "It's tough. It's one of those things where you do ev- Los Angeles Lakers. He played the NY Giants. challenges that he never could have erything you can to prevent (yourself) from getting it and for five NBA teams during a 12- Walls is on the front lines with imagined when he was traveling to you do everything you can to keep from spreading it, but year career. The former all-state this mission. NBA cities. it appears so late that you don't really know if you've been first teamer and state champion at By providing students with "Even the little things like infected or if you've infected someone else." Patrick Henry High School in Roa- computers during digital learning, proper nutrition and training tables As a wide receiver and kick returner for the Braves, noke, Virginia and national cham- the organization assists with: are lacking at these small schools," Hughes was a two-time All-SWAC First-Team selection pion at UNC in 1993, famously - Increasing academic perfor- Lynch said. in 2006 and 2007 and All-Conference Second-Team in was part of the Lakers' multi-team mance so students don’t fall be- 2004. He was also named an FCS All-American in 2006. trade that landed Shaquille O'Neal hind, risking eligibility. HBCU Heroes can be reached on: Instagram: @hbcuheroes; He ranks top-five in school history in receiving yards and Kobe Bryant in Los Angeles - Increasing retention/gradu- Facebook: @hbcuheroes; (Lynch ended up with the Vancou- with 2,315 and No. 2 in receptions with 161. Hughes ation rates by removing barriers Twitter: @hbcuheroes; holds the school records for most kick return yards (792) ver Grizzlies). to online education for as long as LinkedIn: HBCU Heroes and punt return yards (460) in a season. Since retiring from the NBA he needed. was an assistant on Larry Brown's - Decreasing the educational On the track, Hughes was a three-time SWAC cham- Los Angeles Lakers Photo Full story at: pion in the decathlon. He also won the 400-meter hurdles staff at SMU and an assistant in the divide by providing access to up- https://www.forbes.com/sites/ IN THE NBA: George Lynch with G-League with the Grand Rapids chrissheridan/2020/04/05/ex-tar- twice and the 110-meter hurdles once. In 2008, Hughes the LA Lakers, the team that drafted dated computers for online courses heel-george-lynch-trying-to-raise- qualified for the NCAA Track & Field Championships, him in the first round of 1993, and Drive. He replaced former NBA which many students and their par- money-for-small-black-college-stu- but was unable to compete due to NFL mandatory mini- the first of five teams he played for player Darrell Walker as head ents otherwise could not afford. dent-athletes/#6d43ebb06114 camp with the Cleveland Browns. in the league. coach at Clark Atlanta in 2018. "We are asking for HBCU Hughes, whose father is a nurse anesthetist, also pur- sued a nursing degree to gain practical experience. He stuck with the NFL for a while, bouncing around active rosters and practice squads — but during the offseasons BCSP Notes he would volunteer at local hospitals. And when the 2011 Alcorn State QB Noah Johnson Word quickly leaked out that he'd be looking to return home to Tampa lockout hit, Hughes got a full-time job as a nurse. transferring to South Florida and with former West Virginia legend and Alcorn State QB coach Pat Shortly thereafter, as he and his wife discussed starting After months of speculation, former Alcorn State quarterback and White joining Jeff Scott’s new staff, Johnson’s decision to choose the a family, Hughes decided to pivot to a career in medicine. 2018 SWAC Offensive Player of the Year Noah Johnson announced on Bulls was sealed. "Nate is one of those rare individuals who can do Thursday that he will be returning home to Tampa and transferring to the USF's quarterback room suddenly isn't as barren as it was last fall both," said Claude Brunson, an anesthesiologist and long- University of South Florida after being granted a sixth year of eligibility with Johnson joining a group that includes scholarship signal-callers Jor- time family friend.