"Keep It Movin'!"

"I've gotta shake it off, learn from my mistakes and keep it movin' bruh!"

I'm sure glad that my salvation isn't determined by the imperfections of man and that Jesus willingly gives us second chances all of the time. Folks in this world act like they've got a Heaven and a Hell to put you in to. The same cats that pass judgement of you are making the same mistakes or those that are even worse. Thank God for God being God all by himself. When former University of Georgia running back Isaiah Crowell was arrested last week I  heard and saw on every sports talk radio show, Facebook page, Twitter account and on message boards where people were just destroying this kid's character and judgement.

 I wrote the Hot Joint entitled "Ghetto Instincts" to shed some light on why he's made the mistakes that he's made. I'm glad that more people have checked that joint out than any Hot one I've published because it really opens the eyes of those that are naive to what goes on in the mind of a child from the inner city.  To pass judgement on this kid or any other 18 or 19 year old is just ridiculous. Think back to all of the stupid things you did at that age bruh and fortunately there was someone there to clean up your mess. The great thing is, there wasn't a 24 hour news cycle and everyone wasn't paparazzi with their cell phones when we were screwing up at that age.

Just a few days ago I wrote a Hot Joint entitled "The Difference Maker" about how coaches in the hood have to become more than just coaches to these kids. Well...I'm happy to say that Alabama State coach Reggie Barlow feels the same way I do about giving kids a second chance. They've welcomed Crowell with opened arms as he has transferred to their program which plays at the Football Championship Subdivision level. Therefore, he's eligible to play this coming season instead of having to sit out if he'd gone to another Football Bowl Subdivision level program.

I hear some clown in the background now saying, They're only trying to use him for the time being because he won't got to court or be convicted until later in the fall or even next year sometime. He'll sell tickets for them etc." See that's the hater in him and the suburban/privileged  mindset coming out. Alabama State, an HBCU (Historically Black Colleges & Universities), is trying to save his life bruh. Don't get it twisted they can see that he has crazy skillz and it will definitely benefit them too. They also realize that he's facing two felonies; one for possessing a weapon in a school zone and the other for altering the identification mark of a gun. However, they're trying to prove to the courts that he's not a bad kid and that he's just a kid that made a mistake. Those joints can be reduced with the right influence and the proof that Crowell is being productive. By quickly enrolling in school it shows them that he's not a criminal mind and isn't a threat to society. 

This is bigger than football bruh! It's about saving a kid with a story they know all too well and making that difference that I was just talking about. Think about where your life would be right now if you hadn't been given 2nd, 3rd and 4th chances throughout your life? To completely give up on this kid at 18 isn't in his best interest. I  understand that Georgia was looking out for the best interest of Georgia but unfortunately they knew what they were getting when they recruited him. 

So many of these coaches blow my mind going to the ghetto to get players and then want them to have the minds of a suburban kid raised in a two parent household with a picket fence and a fufu dog. It doesn't work that way bruh! Recent clinical studies have shown that kids raised in the war zone(ghetto/hood/inner city) suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) the same way veterans in the military do. The only difference is that veterans are treated for it. Some of these kids have witnessed friends and family members getting their head blown off right in front of them many times at home or at school. They didn't have to go off to war to see that. They were exposed to it at a very early age too bruh. Therefore, it can make it very difficult to transition from one environment to the next because instincts kick in when they aren't always needed. Thus, "Ghetto Instincts", Crowell having a gun under the seat when he clearly didn't need to have one.

 Let's keep it real or all the way 100, whichever comes 1st! Since this kid was a toddler, he's probably seen every older male that he's ever been around put the gun under the seat. His uncles, brothers, cousins and even his dad did the same thing. It's normal behavior in the ghetto. I'm not saying that it's right, I'm just painting the picture for those of you that are naive to this world. If a kid has seen death and destruction during his upbringing then you're going to get more than a football player when he shows up. Don't think for one minute that he's going to think like the kid from the suburbs or the kid from middle America because he won't. 

Coaches have to be willing to live up to the words that they spit during the recruiting process when they show up in some of these area's to get these kids promising those mothers that they're going to take care of their babies. Well...those same babies are going to come with some instincts and problems that you've got to be ready to deal with. You just can't throw him away when he gets into trouble. If you didn't want the potential problems you should have only recruited kids from private schools with two parents at home. However, you didn't because you knew that you couldn't win with those types of players. 

Holla At Ya Boy! 

Jay Graves

Follow me on Twitter: @jaygravesreport