I'm not going to broach the Virginia Tech tragedy in this blog. Obviously, it is a terrible moment in this country's history, but I don't really know what I can say to add to it in any meaningful way.However, here is a good blog post, which pretty much summarizes my feeling on the matter as an up-and-coming journalist.
Yesterday was a sad day for Maryland basketball fans, such as myself, as former Terp Laron Cephas suddenly passed at the age of 29.
With a career average of 1.2 points per game, Cephas wasn't a star on the court. His tenure at Maryland coincided with one of the greatest stretches in school history. The Terps went 99-38, including the program's first Final Four appearance in his career.
As a forward, Cephas just wasn't going to get playing time ahead of teammates Terence Morris, Tahj Holden and Chris Wilcox.
Despite being fairly highly thought of as a high school player in Wilmington, Del., Cephas never complained about his lack of playing time, instead making his teammates better by giving everything he had in practice and leading by example.
In school, Cephas was a positive influence on the College Park campus with his work in the SGA and after school he continued to be an upstanding citizen with his work in the Boys & Girls Club of Annapolis & Anne Arundel County.
That's not to say he didn't contribute on the court also.
When any Maryland fan thinks about Laron Cephas, they remember him playing quality minutes as a freshman against No. 1 North Carolina. Vince Carter and Antawn Jamison North Carolina. Undefeated, 17-0, North Carolina.
With our bigs in foul trouble, Cephas had to come in and guard Jamison. And he played with everything he had, held Jamison in check and the Terps stunned the Tar Heels in overtime.
I will never forget reading the "Washington Post" recap of the game the next morning and Gary Williams specifically pointing out Cephas' play as a key ingredient in the victory.
Man that was a great night as a Terp fan. We slayed the giant with three freshmen - Cephas, Morris and Mike Mardesich (pictured above carrying Cephas on his back) - guarding Jamison.
As a Maryland fan, like any sports fan, you remember the stars. I've seen some great players at Maryland: Joe Smith, Keith Booth, Steve Francis, Juan Dixon, Lonny Baxter, Steve Blake, etc., but it's the guys like Cephas that make college basketball the greatest game there is.
I leave you with a quote from Holden, who shared his thoughts about Cephas on a Maryland message board:
It's hard to just give one story, but he was probably the best person and teammate. This is one of those things where you hear it and wonder why stuff like this happens to good people. He always was in a good mood and made sure everybody was too. Smiling everyday, on the court doing drills in Cole, in the summer, sans AC. Smiling in the smallest weight room ever created in Cole, in the summer, sans AC. When I think of Ceph I can't help but smile and laugh because that is the kind of guy he was and that is the kind of guy he made the people around him. We weren't the closest of teammates meaning that I didn't call him every month or anything, but Ceph was like family. No matter how long it has been sicnce you talked to him, it feels like you just talked to him yesterday.
1 comments:
God bless you and your loved ones Laron. I remember you, of course, from your time on the bball team during the glory days of Maryland basketball, which happened to coincide with my years at school there. More than that though, I remember you as an individual on campus.
As the supervisor of the desk staff on South Hill, where the bball team lived at the time, I heard your name constantly because every single female member of my staff was in love with Laron Cephas. I already knew you by name and face, but didn't really know you as a person. I thought that my staff members just had crushes, like many females do on college athletes. However, one day when I walked behind the desk and greeted the man talking to one the aforementioned staff members, I saw it was you. You shook my hand, smiled and turned on the charm. I immediately knew why everyone loved you... you were not only 'famous' on campus, but tall, gorgeous, smart, personable, humble, and kind. I saw you often at work after that, as you were indeed close friends with many of my co-workers, and you were always very nice. I remember seeing you out one night in your yellow SGA tee-shirt, campaigning for the position you rightfully won in the campus government.
I suppose your death hit me hard because I heard of it on the same day as the awful massacre at VaTech. Or maybe it would have hit me just as hard that the world, and especially your loved ones, lost such a wonderful person. A person that was my age. A person that I 'knew'. A good person.
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