Create your own site

Headlines

Subscribe to our Newsletter









CLICK Here........for LINK




USC'S ROSAS NOMINATED FOR
FEDEX ORANGE BOWL COURAGE AWARD

DALLAS (FWAA) – USC's Ricky Rosas is the weekly nominee for the 2009 FedEx Orange Bowl-FWAA Courage Award, to be announced at the end of the season. Though developmentally disabled as a result of juvenile cancer, Rosas has been an integral part of the Trojans' football program for several years. Nearly every day, Rosas makes a 90-minute bus ride from East Los Angeles to the USC campus, where he works at various duties as special assistant to the head coach.

"It's funny how the hugest of guys take care of the littlest guy," Rosas told The Los Angeles Times.

Rosas is 4-foot-8 and weighs less than 100 pounds. His job description consists of handing out water at practices and running errands for coaches in the offices.

"It's a good thing for our players to come in contact with people from different backgrounds, different places," USC coach Pete Carroll told the LA Times. "They learn how to reach out now, maybe they'll continue doing that later in life."

Now a student at East Los Angeles Junior College, Rosas is one of the most popular figures in the program with coaches, players and fans.

"I'm part of this here, you know?" Rosas told the LA Times.

FedEx Orange Bowl Courage AwardFor the fourth straight year, the Football Writers Association of America and the FedEx Orange Bowl will announce a weekly nominee each Wednesday during the season. A blue-ribbon panel will determine the winner from all of the nominees. The winner of the FedEx Orange Bowl/FWAA Courage Award will be announced in December and be presented with the trophy.








Utah receiver caring for 15-year-old brother





UTAH'S SMITHSON NOMINATED FOR
FEDEX ORANGE BOWL COURAGE AWARD

DALLAS (FWAA) – Utah's Antoine "Shaky" Smithson is the weekly nominee for the 2009 FedEx Orange Bowl-FWAA Courage Award, to be announced at the end of the season. Smithson, a junior receiver-running back from Baltimore, has become legal guardian for his 15-year-old brother Anthony.
Smithson

Shaky Smithson, 22, the oldest of seven siblings, grew up in a rough part of Baltimore. He carried a 3.2 grade-point average at East Los Angeles Community College and graduated in three semesters. Shortly after enrolling last February at Utah, he began the process of taking custody of his younger brother.

"It is a big responsibility," Utah coach Kyle Whittingham told SI.com. "But if you know Shaky, he's a very responsible kid; he's very mature. Once he laid it out for me and explained the situation it sounded to me like he was doing the right thing."

Smithson applied for and received a waiver from the NCAA to allow extra benefits. Anthony joined him in Salt Lake City last June; the Smithsons became the fourth family to gain such a waiver (former Courage Award winner Ray Ray McElrathbey of Clemson was the first).

"I can think of no more responsible act," Rev. France Davis, pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in Salt Lake City and a member of the Smithsons' support team, told the Salt Lake Tribune. "What he's doing is stepping up and saying, ‘I'm going to do the right thing. I've given myself a chance. Now I want my brother to have a chance, too.'"

Shaky credits his parents and a basketball coach at Frederick Douglass High School for keeping him out of trouble. He said he learned from others' mistakes and wanted to help his younger brother avoid temptation, as well.

"I don't want to be just helping myself," Shaky told SI.com. "I want to be helping everybody else so that it's not just me that's being successful, it's a lot of other people being successful."

Smithson has nine catches for 56 yards and is averaging 23.5 yards per kickoff return.

FedEx Orange Bowl Courage AwardFor the fourth straight year, the Football Writers Association of America and the FedEx Orange Bowl will announce a weekly nominee each Wednesday during the season. A blue-ribbon panel will determine the winner from all of the nominees. The winner of the FedEx Orange Bowl/FWAA Courage Award will be announced in December and be presented with the trophy.