Men of Character

Carlton Mitchell
Colt McCoy

While the combination of sheer size and speed of sixth round draft pick receiver Carlton Mitchell will provide the Cleveland Browns with a promising target for third round draft pick quarterback Colt McCoy, there still remains one prominent trait that both players bring to the team that far outweighs the rest. This trait is their consistent character demonstrated both on and off the football field.

In my last blog post, I shared a NY Times article that expressed the proven character of Carlton Mitchell and noted that Carlton and I both attended Gaither high school in Tampa, Fla. and were members of the track team.

In addition, Colt McCoy has also been noted for his proven character, perhaps most notably when he was selected as a 2009 finalist for the John Wooden Citizenship Cup, Athletes For A Better World.

The Wooden Cup is named in honor of John Wooden, one of the most successful coaches in collegiate history. Wooden's legacy as a person of integrity, high moral character, compassion, and civic-mindedness continues to make him one of the most admired coaches in the history of sport.

Recipients of the Coach Wooden Citizenship Cup are chosen by a committee chaired by Vincent Dooley, former University of Georgia athletic director, and other distinguished individuals involved in athletics across the country.

I myself was honored as a semi-finalist for the 2009 John Wooden Citizenship Cup, Athletes For A Better World. I take pride (personal responsibility in delivering excellence) that I too posses the prominent trait of having consistent character.

To see Carlton and Colt join the NFL with the Cleveland Browns is incredible. I believe that their consistent character will take them a long way not just for their football careers, but also for the rest of their lives. I expect to see them pave the way in building up more men of character in the NFL for years to come.

A Man's Character

"Character is that which reveals moral purpose, exposing the class of things a man chooses and avoids."
— Aristotle

"Most people say that it is the intellect which makes a great scientist. They are wrong: it is character."
— Albert Einstein

“Sports do not build character. They reveal it.”
— John Wooden

The above examples prove the overall importance of a man's character. Listening and acting upon the words of these men who all possessed a great deal of character themselves is so important. I would say that a man's character plays a defining role in his or her life and ultimately the lives of those who are following him.

Tonight, I read a great article on the sports front page of the NY Times.

The character of the young man, Carlton Mitchell who was featured in the article is inspiring. I knew Carlton in high school, we ran track together, he truly is a gifted athlete, but more importantly a man of character. I was touched to read about how Carlton responded to a trying situation and chose to uphold his morals. Here is an interesting quote from the article, and the motivator for me to write this blog post.

"If Mitchell's physical gifts are the bait, some receiver-starved team may decide to reel him in partly because of his character"

Why is it that the mans character is just part of the equation here?

You see, the article directly below the one that featured Carlton was about Ben Roethlisberger and how he violated the NFL personal conduct policy representing himself, his teammates and everyone associated with the NFL in a poor manner.

I believe that character is the entire equation. Yes, athletic skill is important, but that is already a given for these athletes especially those like Ben. What is missing is the character of these individuals. When did we make it alright for athletes to be considered solely by athletic talent and disregard the overall character of these men. Michael Vick, Tiger Woods, the list continues of athletes who have talent that is undeniable, but who have missed the mark with their personal decisions and overall character.

I believe that if we desire a change in character from these men, we must hold them accountable for their actions and begin to cultivate an environment where the character of a man is more than just part of the equation.