Cox a great role model for Yazoo youth
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Jason Patterson Editor & PublisherIt’s amazing that a young man who was playing football at Yazoo City High School just a short time ago is now in position to become the wealthiest man in town.
After two outstanding years at Mississippi State University, Fletcher Cox is expected to be a first round pick in the upcoming NFL draft. That means Mr. Cox is about to make a lot of money.
He deserves every penny of it. Cox is a rare talent. Only a small percentage of high school athletes can compete on the Division I collegiate level. Only a small percentage of those will ever suit up for the NFL.
Cox was blessed with the physical tools to rise to the top. Standing at 6-4 and weighing in at 298 pounds, Cox has the size it takes to compete with elite athletes.
God gave Cox the potential to be the best, but the discipline it takes to succeed in athletics was something he had to do for himself. Cox has made all the right moves, and hopefully he will serve as a positive role model for young Yazooans looking to follow in his huge footsteps.
Having the talent to be the best is rare, having the discipline and character to earn a chance to prove yourself is something that’s even harder to find.
Too many young people these days fail to realize that it takes more than just practicing your sport to succeed. Work in the classroom is just as important.
When I was the sports editor for The Bolivar Commercial in Cleveland we had 11 high schools in our coverage area, so it wasn’t that uncommon to see athletes with college potential.
When college recruiters visited schools, the first question they asked wasn’t about how many tackles an athlete made or how many touchdowns he scored. They wanted to know his ACT score and if he was going to be able qualify academically.
The sad reality is that the answer was often no.
I’ve seen some young men who clearly had the talent to compete in SEC football miss their chance because they failed to take their schoolwork seriously.
Then there are discipline issues. Think about how many times you hear about a college athlete getting kicked off a team because of discipline problems.
Just last week Dylan Favre, nephew of NFL legend Brett Favre and one of the most prolific quarterbacks in Mississippi high school history, was suspended indefinitely from his junior college team after being arrested on drug charges.
It’s hard to believe that someone with so much on the line would do something so foolish, but unfortunately things like that happen all the time. Young people often make bad decisions just because they lack life experience, but it would help if they better understood the consequences.
Fletcher Cox has done things the right way, and that’s one more reason why all Yazooans should be proud to call him a native son. I’m looking forward to seeing where his career takes him and wishing him many successful years as a professional athlete.
Dear Editor,
The decision by the present school board not to renew the teaching and coaching contract of Mr. Archie Carlyle was a planned and calculated act of politics. This kind of thing has been happening for years.
They didn’t follow policies or procedures in this matter. The state’s report on the district asked the board to stop interfering in this kind of situation, but it seems they didn’t get the memo.
My mother always put her 11 children first in making decisions for their futures. It is clear this board did not do that.
Mr. Carlyle’s only crime was putting his students first. I feel like Jesus, when he told the people at the well, “He who is without sin cast the first stone.”
I and the 800 people who have signed the petition calling for Carlyle’s return can find no fault in his dedication to our community. We are being laughed at across the state, and on Facebook and Twitter.
Our community is losing faith in our ability to work in a productive and successful district. The Yazoo Herald’s sports editor called it a “travesty.” I ask the question, where are all those Christian folks, his co-workers, his pastor and his fellow church members?
Where are the athletes, past and present, and most of all where are the parents? He has mothered and fathered when you were unable to make it to a game or on the road, giving your children heart-to-heart talks of motivation and encouragement both in the halls of our schools and on the streets of this community. Now he deserves your support in this critical matter.
This affects us all, black and white, because the future of our community is at stake. I am asking everyone to show as much concern about this matter as they do during election time.
Mr. Clifton Jones, I sat on the school board when you and your wife in a 3 to 2 vote were denied what you rightfully deserved. When you first ran for alderman you were the only politician I ever spent an entire day with, walking the streets because I believed in you. When I ran for mayor as an independent, I endorsed McArthur Straughter in the primary. Many people thought I was crazy, but I was exercising my rights.
Mr. Aubry Brent Jr., I followed you from Vicksburg to Belzoni and saw people commit perjury to defeat you. When citizens support a candidate, they want something in return. As a citizen with the 800 petitioners, we are calling in our wager. Just get the record of the board of that decision, which is public record. Check the timeline of the action, and you will be amazed. Next month you will appoint or reappoint a board member, but before you do we deserve answers.
If you find me wrong I will come back and sit before you and the school board and give a public apology. Everyone deserves their day in court, and Mr. Carlyle certainly does.
What you do or don’t do will determine the caliber of teachers and coaches willing to come into our community and work with our children.
Johnny Staples
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