Brothers in Arms

His Dream Deferred but Not His Duty, McElrathbey Carries On

Ray Ray McElrathbey allows a moment to consider the consequences of growth. He can smile about how three years ago teenage exuberance filled his mind with football fancy.

Now he sits gazing at the suburban sprawl from a friend's eighth-floor apartment in Hyattsville as a college graduate, a father, a former Clemson reserve running back, a Howard graduate student and a survivor. He's a changed man.

"It's crazy, because I'm in D.C.," McElrathbey said, staring into the late-afternoon haze. "The first time I got in a plane to go to D.C., it wasn't that bad. The second time when I came back, and I knew this was the place I was going to stay for at least the next two years, it was real strange. I wouldn't put myself in D.C. No way would I put myself in D.C. That's just what life is. It's unpredictable."

Unpredictable doesn't begin to describe McElrathbey's life. He received national recognition after gaining custody of his brother, Fahmarr, during the time their mother, Tonya, fought crack cocaine addiction and their father, Raheem, a gambling problem. Last fall, McElrathbey suffered a season-ending knee injury at Clemson, and this spring, his scholarship wasn't renewed. With two years of eligibility left, McElrathbey, 21, continues his growth at Howard, where he pursues a football career while preparing for a future after sports.

This is the McElrathbey story America knows: In the summer of 2006, he sought custody of his then-11-year-old brother who, like McElrathbey, lived in foster care in the Atlanta area. Clemson and the Atlantic Coast Conference appealed to the NCAA to allow McElrathbey to receive additional assistance aside from his football scholarship, and the school was granted permission to set up a trust fund for the two brothers; Clemson raised more than $100,000 for it. McElrathbey's compassion touched the country.

This is the McElrathbey story most of America doesn't know: During training camp last August, McElrathbey was working to climb from the No. 3 running back position, behind co-starters James Davis and C.J. Spiller. On a rushing play to the left side called "Duck West," McElrathbey's cleats caught in the grass. Offensive linemen charged ahead with their blocking schemes, colliding with McElrathbey and tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.

Fahmarr stared ahead as a cart carried his stunned brother from the field. Sprawled on a training table, ice on his throbbing knee, McElrathbey cried for 10 minutes upon learning that his season was over, his life about to change.

This spring, McElrathbey learned that Clemson's coaches did not renew his scholarship beyond the summer, when he was scheduled to graduate with a sociology degree in three years. Reports suggested McElrathbey failed to regularly attend rehabilitation sessions and respond to attempts by the coaching staff to communicate with him.

"It was probably the best thing that ever happened to me without me knowing it," McElrathbey said. "Before then, you couldn't tell me I wasn't going to play football for the rest of my life . . . because when I got hurt, I realized that this can end. I went from being fast and being able to jump to only being able to watch. It was a huge change."

Initially, Howard Coach Carey Bailey didn't think much of McElrathbey's availability. Talk of potential transfers happens all the time, and this instance appeared no different.

In late February, Bailey was in Atlanta for a reception as part of celebration for the 2007 historically black college all-American team. Howard wide receiver Jarahn Williams and defensive end Rudolph Hardie were being recognized.

That night, Bailey met with area high school coaches and discussed recruiting. One coach said he understood McElrathbey, who graduated from Mays High School in Atlanta, might be interested in transferring. Bailey knew of McElrathbey from media reports, as well as from his time scouting the Atlanta area as a defensive line coach at Minnesota.