Former Cowbow Clayton Holmes

[TSUalum05]

FLORENCE, S.C. -- His bicycle, naturally, is red. Not brown or black or forest green or any of the 2,000 other hues that generally fail to catch the eyes of passers-by.
It is red.
Somehow, in the drearily colored life of Clayton Holmes, this makes perfect sense. Were his bike, say, gray, Holmes would more easily slip into the backdrop of the east side of Florence, a downtrodden section of a downtrodden city littered by double-wide trailers, wayward drug dealers and the shattered Budweiser bottles, used condoms, McDonald's wrappers and crumpled newspapers that seem to pock each dirt road and cement walkway. Although as a boy Holmes was raised in a trailer at 1018 West Harmony St., the only harmonious element to Florence's poor neighborhoods is the occasional crooning from drunk and cracked-up men on particularly jovial nights.
"Florence," says Clinton Holmes, Clayton's younger brother, "can bring any person down. We're talking about a very, very negative place."



http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page...0110&sportCat=nfl&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab2pos1

 

[TSUalum05]

After reading this, all I can say is wow. People really fall to wayside like him and its sad

 

[Sting]

Damn that's sad as hell to hear.

 

[$Bill]

I wish others learn from this.

 

[STRAWDOG]

Yes, this is a sad case on many levels..................the one thing that keeps puzzling me is........I never read anything about him or his family havingt the LORD in their lives....................???????

Just one man's opinion......

 

[TSUalum05]

The thing that stood out to me the most is when he acknowledged he was a terrible father and husband and he has little motivation to make things better.

 

[Blackbear]

This is sad on so many levels.

I do not understand why he HAD to go back. Sometimes facing your demons means that you choose your own ground to fight. He had no chance back in the neighborhood no chance of a future and all of his past to haunt him and to daily remind him of the failure that he was.

This man gave up on life in 1998, he just did not have the courage to end it. Now he also has to live with his cowardice in not going through with it.

If he thinks his example is going to help others, he is deluded. It sure isn't helping the people around him and if this reporter hadn't found him, NOONE would have known his story.

And...I hate the sympathy angle for his parents, especially the mother. She deserves NO sympathy...she probably was well aware what was happening to her son, but did nothing about it.

:smh:

 

[northern tiger]

I wish somebody would have told Rashard Anderson about this dude.

 

[cat daddy]

Damn this is a sad and tough situation. I don't think Holmes is ready to help others not become who he is. Riding a bike and staying holed up in a shack will not get it done. There are tons of community service agencies that will help you get back on your feet and help you tell your story.

 

[SONNY]

Yet nothing -- absolutely nothing -- wounded Clayton as deeply as those nights when Bam, seven years his elder, sneaked into bed, saddled up from behind, placed a hand over his mouth and molested him.

REAL TALK, I almost shed a tear when I read this.
This brother has had a hard life.

Emmit, Troy, Micheal someone help your down and out fellow Cowboy.

 

[cat daddy]

REAL TALK, I almost shed a tear when I read this.
This brother has had a hard life.

Emmit, Troy, Micheal someone help your down and out fellow Cowboy.

As I was reading the piece, I wondered if any of the former Cowboys have reached out to offer help and support, but when I read that he has done nothing to reconnect with his own kids, that told me he is not ready for help.

 

[SONNY]

Claudia had largely retreated from her son's life, attending only one of his high school games and none of his collegiate football games, suddenly she was back in the picture. "When Clayton made the NFL, he was her baby again,"

Claudia is his mother.

This is some of the S_ddest schit I ever heard in my life.
From BENZ to bikes and being the ridicule of his town.
:shame:
I wished someone would have reached out to him to help him save his money and/or educate him on his finances.

 

[Vinita]

As I was reading the piece, I wondered if any of the former Cowboys have reached out to offer help and support, but when I read that he has done nothing to reconnect with his own kids, that told me he is not ready for help.

He doesn't know how to be a parent because he wasn't parented.

 

[SONNY]

He doesn't know how to be a parent because he wasn't parented.

That is so True.

He got 2 strippers pregnant while married to his wife.

I wonder is he trying to get a Book Deal to be heard. Child support is going to eat up like 85% of any revenue he makes off that deal.
I hope he finds the LORD and I especially hope he has kicked his drug habit.

 

[Bane]

REAL TALK, I almost shed a tear when I read this.
This brother has had a hard life.

Emmit, Troy, Micheal someone help your down and out fellow Cowboy.

This dude life was hard up until he was drafted. After that, it was dumb decision after dumb decision. Emmitt, Troy, and Michael can probably list 100s of ex-teammates (High School, College, & Pros) they've played with over the years that are in similar situations. Which ones should they help???

 

[SONNY]

This dude life was hard up until he was drafted. After that, it was dumb decision after dumb decision. Emmitt, Troy, and Michael can probably list 100s of ex-teammates (High School, College, & Pros) they've played with over the years that are in similar situations. Which ones should they help???

HIM.

I dont know know the stories of the other cats, but his brother is in need of some help.

 

[TSUalum05]

HIM.

I dont know know the stories of the other cats, but his brother is in need of some help.

He's not trying to help hiself.

 

[FAMU CLIFF]

Money, talent and opportunity cant give you self worth. He is a man whose core is empty. Until he resolves that, there is no help for him.

 

[ALCORNITE 86]

HIM.

I dont know know the stories of the other cats, but his brother is in need of some help.

Met Clayton last night. One of his best friends from High School is a Bruh (Que) and in the USMC. Clayton lives with him and is a motivational speaker talking to youths in the Metro DC area about the pitfalls of Drugs and Abuse.

 

[cat daddy]

Met Clayton last night. One of his best friends from High School is a Bruh (Que) and in the USMC. Clayton lives with him and is a motivational speaker talking to youths in the Metro DC area about the pitfalls of Drugs and Abuse.

:tup:

 

[SONNY]

Met Clayton last night. One of his best friends from High School is a Bruh (Que) and in the USMC. Clayton lives with him and is a motivational speaker talking to youths in the Metro DC area about the pitfalls of Drugs and Abuse.

That's EXCELLENT!!!!!!!