ST. LOUIS - For Illinois State freshman defensive back Johntel Franklin, the word sportsmanship takes on a completely different meaning than for most of his Redbird teammates. Franklin was part of one of the most moving sports moments of the year and that act of sportsmanship will be honored at the 11th annual AT&T National Sportsmanship Awards, to be held Saturday, Nov. 21, at the Chase Park Plaza Hotel in St. Louis.
Last February, DeKalb (Ill.) High School was scheduled to play a non-conference game on the road against Milwaukee Madison High School and Franklin, who was a senior captain for the Knights. It was the third meeting between the two schools, who were developing a friendly rivalry that spanned two states, but the game itself almost never took place.
While Franklin was taking his college ACT exam, his mother Carlitha was in the last hours of her life, losing a long battle with cervical cancer. Franklin's coaches and teammates joined him at the hospital to lend their support and when head coach Aaron Womack, Jr., offered to cancel the game, Franklin insisted the game go on for his teammates and his opponents who had made the long trip. Franklin and several of his teammates were at the hospital late that afternoon when the decision was made to turn off the life-support system. Carlitha Franklin was just 39.
The game eventually went on as planned, though it started late and Milwaukee Madison dressed only eight players. During the second quarter of the game, Franklin showed up at the game and told his coach he wanted to play. The problem was that since Franklin was not registered in the official scorebook, his team would be assessed a technical foul and DeKalb would be given two free throw attempts.
DeKalb head coach Dave Rohlman had heard about what transpired earlier in the day and argued with the referees that he did not want to take the free throws. However, the rule was concrete and eventually Rohlman had to return to the bench and ask for a volunteer to take the shots, which turned out to be his senior captain Darius McNeal.
McNeal then went to the free throw line and exhibited one of the most pure examples of character and sportsmanship. His first shot flew barely two feet and the second shot barely left his hands. It didn't take long for Franklin, the Knights bench and eventually everyone in attendance to understand what McNeal and his team had done and everyone quickly broke out into a rousing applause and a standing ovation. "I did it for the guy who lost his mom," McNeal told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "It was the right thing to do." Franklin would go on to score 10 points, and Milwaukee Madison broke open the game in the second half on way to a 62-47 victory.
The AT&T National Sportsmanship Awards are hosted annually by the St. Louis Sports Commission and the Citizenship Through Sports Alliance. The event highlights the most remarkable examples of sportsmanship and honors athletes and personalities from around the nation for their integrity, class, selflessness, perseverance, kindness, community service and overall commitment to sportsmanship. The premier telecast of the 2009 AT&T National Sportsmanship Awards on will be broadcast on CBS College Sports Network Wednesday, Dec. 16, at 8 p.m.
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