FAMU Rattlers show some bite in the classroom

Photo: #28, Jason Beach

By St. Clair Murraine, DEMOCRAT STAFF WRITER

Long before loading up to leave Cincinnati for FAMU four years ago, linebacker Dannel Shepard heard constant reminders about the distractions that could beset a freshman football player with star potential.

"Coming down here," Shepard said, "one thing everybody told me is, 'You're going to Florida; you're going to see the girls and you're going to have the parties.'

"My whole thing was I have to prove everybody wrong. I can't be one of the ones that come far away from home and fall off because I have a lot riding on my shoulders."

Shepard, a senior majoring in business administration, is one of four football players who have consistently stayed on the honor roll at FAMU. They've debunked everything they've heard about how easy it is to be taken off course academically, maintaining a 3.0 or better grade-point average.

Two of the others are defensive players: redshirt sophomore linebacker Michael McMillan and redshirt junior defensive back Jason Beach. Redshirt sophomore offensive right tackle Kenneth Lanier is a regular on the honor roll.

Photo: #76 Michael McMillan

They're also performing above average on the football field, with Shepard atop the chart of defensive leaders. In three games he has 28 tackles, five for loss and two quarterback sacks.

McMillan has recorded 11 tackles and Beach 9.

With no game on their schedule this weekend and a lighter week of practice than usual week, the Rattlers can enjoy a little leisure. But the classroom routine remains the same for the players.

"During free time, I know a lot of people have got video games or go clubbing (but) you've got to pick certain days," said McMillan, a pharmacy major who was named to the MEAC All-Academic team this past spring. "I play with my boys and I have fun, but at the same time I've got to study when I get free time.

"I look at it like this: My parents sent me here to get an education and, of course, play football. I'm just trying to balance both of them and keep my grades up while I'm on the field. I just want to be something in life."

While the four student-athletes might be exceptional in their commitment to academics, every player on the team puts in his share of overtime to prepare for classes. There is study hall, tutoring and whatever else it takes for the players to maintain academic standards, said coach Rubin Carter.

Photo: #27, Dannel Shepard

His biggest challenge, Carter said, is with freshmen. They usually come in with big dreams of using college football to get to the next level, sometimes forgetting the balance between the playing field and the classroom.

Most freshmen make the adjustment quickly, though, he said.

"You try to keep things in perspective and also to prioritize - college is first," Carter said. "Academics are first (and) everything else is an addition to what they get here.

"We surround them with a network of people to help them by conveying the message of doing things they need to do."

And then some. Staying above average in the classroom takes more than study hall, said Shepard, recalling the nights he stayed up into the wee hours.

"I just told myself to get focused on my books when I'm tired and sleepy and really don't want to. I just force myself to do better," he said. "I treat it like a football game, start on it as soon as I get the information. I keep going over and as it (the exam) gets closer, I pile it all together and try to get the most I can."