McMichael gives back to his community

By Robyn Disney - rdisney@macon.com
Randy McMichael didn't have to hold a football camp Saturday in Fort Valley.

I'm sure the NFL player could have spent time in his home in Miami with his family. Or maybe preparing for his first season with the St. Louis Rams. Or going out with his high-profile friends.

But McMichael decided to come back to his hometown and give back in the form of a celebrity weekend that included a football camp and a community festival.

McMichael and company showed up at South Peach Park a little after 9 a.m. Saturday. One-hundred-and-thirty-two kids were waiting for them. If the players were tired, it didn't show as they put the youngsters through passing, running and conditioning drills. All while a small crowd watched.

McMichael acted like the ringleader of a circus. He stood in the center with a whistle, keeping track of water breaks and time spent on stations. He also took care of any kids who were too young to participate - or too scared.

One of McMichael's friends, Channing Crowder, picked up a little boy to take him to participate in the camp. The boy immediately started to cry. McMichael came over to calm the youngster down and bring him back to the sidelines, where the boy watched the rest of the time. Periodically, McMichael would come back and check on the boy.

At the end of the camp, McMichael granted interviews to the local press. During one exchange, he noticed a crowd forming. He stopped the interview to find a young man suffering from heat exhaustion. Emergency medical service personnel were already there taking care of the man, but McMichael did not leave his side until he knew the man would be OK.

McMichael has had some well-documented personal problems in the past. But he seems to have left those problems in the past and has moved on, becoming a role model for kids and adults alike.

Through his foundation, he has spent the past 12 months doing numerous charity events, mostly in underprivileged or rural areas. With a new gig in St. Louis, he says, most of the charitable stuff he did in Miami will be moved to St. Louis.

Yes, McMichael has a lot of money. While he did receive grants from the NFL for this weekend, some of this weekend was coming out of his pocket. Why spend your money on hundreds of hotdogs for kids you don't even know when you can trick out your gas-guzzling car? What about a big-screen high definition TV?

While sometimes we in the media seem to like to point out the negative things professional athletes do, here is one player who is doing it right.

Great article! Glad to see that Randy is leaving the past behind him and moving on.

Great to see an example on the Rams of a man who has grown up from his troubled past as opposed to just being a selfish, stupid and frankly, horrible human being in Vick. I feel ashamed that I rooted for him at VT, being from Virginia and thinking seriously of going to VT for college. I hope he takes a deep breath and savors his last year in the league, because I don't see the Feds not ensuring that this will be a conviction.

On lighter news, I can't wait to see more stories of the Rams' philanthropic activites!