MrsSmith Posted February 12, 2007 Share Posted February 12, 2007 Hoops helps player turn life around By MIKE BROWN World Sports Writer 2/12/2007 View in Print (PDF) Format Golden Eagles' forward fought hard to escape a life of violence and crime. Six years ago, Sylvester Spicer sold drugs on a corner. The redshirt freshman has come a long way from the mean streets of south Dallas to play basketball for Oral Roberts University. "It's pretty remarkable what he's accomplished, growing up in that environment and with the difficulties he's had," ORU coach Scott Sutton said. Violence was a way of life. Spicer was always getting into fights. Once, he pulled a knife on another fighter and landed in juvenile lockup for five weeks. He also served a stint for robbery. Spicer says he merely sneaked into a vacant house and didn't take anything, but his fingerprints were found at the scene. Spicer received little direction from home. His parents, Otis and Rhonda Spicer, are deaf mutes and have been disabled for most of his life. He communicated with them by learning American sign language from his half-sisters, who lived with his grandmother, Geraldine Briggs. She tried to be a stable influence, but his only real direction came from his friends in the street. He hardly ever thought about his future. When he played basketball, it was on a backyard goal he made by knocking the spokes out of the rim of a bicycle tire and nailing it to the back of his house. Today, Spicer is a 6-foot-6 reserve forward for the Golden Eagles and learns about the Bible in his spare time from friends and fellow students. It's quite a change. "A lot of the people who were in my situation are probably still in the 'hood, or in jail," Spicer said. "The dude I sold (drugs) for is dead now." About the worst thing that can happen to him is getting a bad grade in calculus, a class he needs for his mechanical engineering degree. "He's had to fight for everything he has," ORU assistant Corey Williams said. "It ought to send a resounding message to a lot of other people. It makes no difference where you came from, it's what you do with what you have." The South Oak Cliff area of south Dallas -- bounded roughly by I-35 on the west and Illinois Avenue on the north -- is one of the poorest areas of the city, with lots of low-income housing and people surviving off government checks, as Spicer's parents do. But Spicer had basketball. As a sophomore, he joined the team at South Oak Cliff High School, and came under the influence of head coach James Mayes. It changed his life. "Coach Mayes made me want to do better. I didn't know anything about college. In the 'hood, nobody talks about college." A below-average student before, Spicer started going early to school each day for tutorial help and started making A's and B's. He graduated with a 2.6 grade point average and was named pre-calculus student of the year. He also played on South Oak Cliff's 2004-05 state championship team. Playing behind Top-100 prospects Darrell Arthur (now at Kansas) and Kevin Rogers (Baylor), Spicer averaged seven points and five rebounds per game. "I feel God put me here for a reason," he said. "Can you imagine anyone going through what I've gone through, and going to Oral Roberts for free?" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EasyTELGuy Posted February 12, 2007 Share Posted February 12, 2007 Boy, what a great article! That kind of story has the makings of a movie one of these days... BTW, if you haven't seen "The Pursuit of Happyness", go and check it out. Spicer's story just reminds me of taking something from nothing like Chris Gardner did and going for broke with it! It's a real inspiring story - and a great testament to committed fatherhood as well! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sterns78 Posted February 13, 2007 Share Posted February 13, 2007 Awesome. The story of redemption. More important than any of the stuff we talk about on this board. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbl78 Posted February 13, 2007 Share Posted February 13, 2007 Awesome. The story of redemption. More important than any of the stuff we talk about on this board. I totally agree with you. This is what the school is all about!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sterns78 Posted February 14, 2007 Share Posted February 14, 2007 DBL, if you are who I think you are, I met your daughter at Homecoming. Also, my son was Soph Homecoming Prince. Great time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbl78 Posted February 14, 2007 Share Posted February 14, 2007 Also, my son was Soph Homecoming Prince. Congrats to Tyler. I sure his looks and personality came from Paula. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
orumom Posted February 14, 2007 Share Posted February 14, 2007 We also wish to congratulate Tyler. You have every right to be proud. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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