Shocker Players Make Me Proud

[SHOXAAC]

For the 3rd year in a row Tekele Cotton had Easter dinner with our family. Three years ago I told Tekele about my mother and father (deceased 15 years ago) starting out as season ticket holders in 1965. He and Carl Hall were excited to take a picture with her (you could only imagine how excited my mom was).

Last year Tekele came with a basketball manager and we had another great time.

This year Tekele came with the same manager as last year, along with girlfriend Gaby (another case of a classy, quality Shocker student-athlete). He always seeks out my mom as a proud long-time fan. My mom had a stroke about 5 months ago and Tekele wanted to take more pictures with her. Here is where I well up. I don't know how long I have with my mom. Tekele has always been her favorite player, as is mine. For him to be so kind and engaging (anyone who knows Tekele understands he is very shy) brings unbelievable joy to my heart.

My point isn't to name drop about hanging out with Tekele. My point, in coordination with the timing of the Andrew Harrison embarrassment, is to reaffirm my glowing pride of the quality of people Gregg recruits into this program. Tekele could very easily checked the box and engaged in the most basic PR with our family over the past three years. Instead, he remembers my mom and how much of a fan she has been for Shocker athletics for 50 years. I love all the great Shocker student-athletes, especially Tekele for being classy and gracious. As I put my mom to bed at her Assisted Living facility tonight all she wanted to talk about was her perceived relationship with Tekele. That's how special he made her feel. Now I'm really welling up.

I will take the athletic and personal quality of Gregg's recruits any day over the entitled burger boys. I am so proud to be a Shocker fan with all the rest of you (even the ones I get into spirited conversations with). I can't wait to continue the journey as we look forward to next season. I hope all of my SNrs had a great Easter as I did. God Bless.

[Owp99]

I really like the kids HCGM brings in as well. All of the shockers seem like awesome people, and I have heard nothing but good things about most of them. Happy Easter to you too.

[choida]

Would be great to bring Jans back.... But he's got issues he needs to handle

[Shocker-maniac]

@SHOXMVC:, that is an awesome account of the quality student-athletes that are Shockers. Thank you for sharing this touching story.

[shock]

Would be great to bring Jans back.... But he's got issues he needs to handle

Wat

[SHOXJOCK]

Would be great to bring Jans back.... But he's got issues he needs to handle

This could be #missedplacedpostoftheyear.

[kcshocker11]

me 2

[wu_shizzle]

Thank You for sharing this.

"If it bleeds it leads" rules the day, and positive stories need more light.

[Shoxthemonkey]

I always get a kick out of listening to post game interviews with the Shocker players. I don't know if they get coached up on how to be interviewed but without exception they give thoughtful, polite and non-cliched answers. It is evident to me that the staff does a good job of finding athletes with character and young men that give more than lip service to education. It never fails to make me proud to have them represent our school. Thanks for sharing your story SHOXMVC.

[WuDrWu]

Excellent recap of a wonderful day @SHOXMVC:. Tekele and Gaby are 2 wonderful young people and you don't need to look past Leza and Rori to figure out how they got to where they are today. Two strong & amazing moms.

Is is a GREAT day.

[AZ Shocker]

AWESOME!!! Just awesome. Thank you for sharing SHOXMVC.

[ShockerPhi]

This just helps reaffirm why Tekele is my favorite player as well. I'm really gonna miss that guy.

Thank you for sharing.

[WuShock16]

MVC, this was a GREAT story, but thankfully, it is not surprising. Gregg has set up an environment with the kids he recruits where this kind of behavior is the rule, not the exception. I would take these young men over anybody in the country.

Oh, and they seem to do okay on the court too.

In the favorite players thread, I made a comment about my favorite Shocker person. Doc made a comment but I don't know if many others did, so I will ask this:

For those who have been around WSU student-athletes over the years, who is your favorite Shocker on the basis of nothing that involves competition? Who are your favorite people and why?

[WstateU]

I hope everyone associated with WSU reads @SHOXMVC:'s post. I also hope it gets read by those that ‘filled the hat’ last week at Flint Hills National allowing us to retain coach Marshall. Thank you coach Marshall for recruiting players that continue to make me proud of my university.

[SHOXAAC]

Ok, I have recovered from the touchy-feely of my experience with Tekele. He enjoyed Hinkle Fieldhouse. He said it was a unique and historic building. I told him a few hundred of his closest friends on SN, although love and want to see him successful on the basketball court, have softly suggested a career as a free safety in the NFL. He chuckled (knows SN exists, but respectfully stays away for a obvious reasons) at the notion and emphasized he has zero interest in playing football (Gaby seemed to have the same sentiment).

His immediate goals are finish school, work out in preparation for professional basketball. He anticipates being able to work out for several teams. He is realistic about the longshot of getting drafted, but has dogged determination of impressing teams enough to get a shot in the league much like Toure. If not he is prepared to play for pay where the pay is good.

I didn't want to take advantage of my conversation opportunity with Tekele and the Sr. manager to ask the tough questions concerning the math numbers for next year. We did have good dialogue about the optimism for another successful run next year. The Sr. manager said there is great optimism for the continued development of Brown, Shaquille, Kelly, and Nurger specifically. Don't read anything into others not mentioned. He was almost giddy about the new recruits. He did mention Mulder is still in the mix and about 2 or 3 big men still solidly on the radar. No specific names however.