In the midst of talking about the Texans, Astros, and the
Rockets there is a champion located at 3100 Cleburne Street here in
the city of Houston. Although not a power house or recognized on a
national stage, Texas Southern University completed their final
task by winning the SWAC Conference Title saturday. The Tigers
played the hardest schedule in the country when it comes to black
colleges yet finished with a 9-3 record this year. In doing
so, third year coach Johnnie Cole was named SWAC Coach of the year.
When Cole was hired, the Tigers had come off of their second
straight 0-11 season and Cole himself, although having
success as a head coach and offensive coordinator in the past, has
had past issues. In this red mark society we live in, this is a
prime example of how we as human beings can change and over come
adversity. The full scale of the allegations Cole has faced are not
fully known, so I think it is unfair to judge him based on that. It
is not our place to judge anyone in the first place. It did bring
me a sense of joy seeing him lead these young men not only to a
championship in athletics but set the stage to be champions in
life. A great example of that was displayed during Cole's pre-game
speech,saying to never leave a man behind, removing his shirt
and revealed the jersey normally worn by Avrell Nelson. It's an
example of commitment, team concept, and compassion. An
although I know it was hard for Nelson to sit and not play in
possibly the biggest game of his career, it shows acceptance and
unselfishness. I applaud that. The last time TSU won the SWAC
Title was in 1968. And even though it took forty-two years to reach
the pinnacle of SWAC football, the road although long , was well
worth the journey. Congrats to you TSU ! 2010 SWAC Conference
Champions !
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