Great Article on Amara Darboh
Lynn Henning has a terrific piece in today's Detroit News on Amara Darboh's odyssey from war-torn Sierra Leone to the Michigan football program. As many know on this board, that war left him an orphan at an early age, and a stranger in a strange land shortly thereafter.
I always viewed Henning as a Spartan slappy, but this is simply a great story told well. No real "football" content; instead it's a poignant reminder that each of our players has a story behind their going to the program, and some of those stories are breathtaking. An excerpt (but you should read it all):
You could begin with the Sierra Leone civil war and its 11-year siege from 1992-2003 that killed anywhere from 50,000-300,000 people. It is believed to have taken the lives of his parents when Amara was 7. Details are less than explicit, all because Amara and family members have locked away memories and circumstances.
You would follow the timeline to relocation in America and to Des Moines, thanks to a Lutheran-based effort. To his shared life in a duplex with a biological brother and older sister, with half-brothers and assorted family members. To Amara’s initial fascination with sports: basketball, soccer, baseball. And, finally, to high school football, as a freshman at Dowling Catholic, when, against his older sister’s wishes, he was coaxed a bit late into joining the team and in his first game scored three touchdowns.
Can't get the hyperlink to work, but the URL is below.
November 3rd, 2016 at 8:18 AM ^
awesome.
November 3rd, 2016 at 8:29 AM ^
November 3rd, 2016 at 8:47 AM ^
Your analogy goes to his game, rather than his character. I get that.
But comparing such a great young man to Chris Carter (who at times is a jackass) is difficult for me. In any event, he doesn't drop many balls, is larger than most DBs, and catches balls in traffic and can go medium-deep. So Avant seems a fair on-the-field comparison to Darboh.
Last year I was expecting great things from Darboh, and he was not as strong as I had hoped. He has obviously taken his game to a new level this year. I can't wait for Chesson* to return to form, since I think both he and Darboh complement one another's games tremendously. When they're both clicking, it really makes it hard on an opposing defensive backfield.
*Another terrific kid with a back story tracing back to Africa - he was born in Liberia in the midst of the Charles Taylor atrocities - then moved to the Ivory Coast, and then to St. Louis. Chesson was young enough when he moved to the U.S. (2 or 3 years old) that he probably doesn't remember the strife into which he was born, but it's still a great story.
November 3rd, 2016 at 10:46 AM ^
November 3rd, 2016 at 12:59 PM ^
This is called "apophasis." It's when you say you're not going to do something and then you do it. For example: "Not to be rude, but that nose of yours is really big."
November 3rd, 2016 at 1:30 PM ^
November 3rd, 2016 at 3:31 PM ^
November 3rd, 2016 at 8:48 AM ^
Perfect qualities for The Team.
November 3rd, 2016 at 9:07 AM ^
November 3rd, 2016 at 9:49 AM ^
This is a wonderful story. Our church, also Lutheran, has welcomed dozens of refugees, many from Liberia, but also from Iran, Afghanistan, Nigeria, Cote d'Ivoire. I have sat and had a Liberian feast with other young African men now playing D-1 ball. We just can't imagine what they went through, especially their parents. The story that will always stick with me is of refugees fleeing certain death, and having to choose between carrying children and dying, or setting the children down to flee and saving your own life. Reading the story reminded me of how fluid and challenged the concept of "family" was for many refugees. Parents were gone, half siblings, aunts, uncles, it was all a mess, and not like the well-defined nuclear families most of us come from.
November 3rd, 2016 at 10:08 AM ^
I am sincerely grateful to Brady Hoke for recruiting a lot of quality kids who will be successful long after they've left U-M and who I would cheer for even if they were 4-8. And... needless to say, I'm also grateful to Harbaugh for continuing to recruit hi-quality kids who won't be 4-8
One of the great things about this day and age of pervasive media and Twitter is getting to know the members of your favorite team as people - and by and large we've been blessed to have some really likeable guys in the maize and blue over the past several years who I admire as people as well as players. I'd start a list but would rather not throw shade by leaving anyone off what would be a rather long list.
November 3rd, 2016 at 10:20 AM ^
Great piece. Everything pointed to Jehu having a break out year before the season started (other than the PCL injury), but Darboh has been the one that has impressed everyone. He's going to be a great pro.
November 3rd, 2016 at 10:34 AM ^
Great story, he has gone through a lot in his life and thankfully he plays for us and gets a quality education. I know he'll be successful, whether in the NFL or the real world.
I'm also glad to see Harbaugh recruiting great players on and off the field. I can't wait to see the young guys play and I'm also looking forward to seeing Kwity Paye play too.
November 3rd, 2016 at 10:38 AM ^
My son plays high school football in Virginia. One of his best friends on the team is an amazing WR, an orphan refugee from Sierra Leone. I introduced him to Darboh's story, and it really moved him. He has similar dreams.
November 3rd, 2016 at 10:56 AM ^
He hasn't disappointed. The numbers may not be eye popping, but I believe that has more to do with previous team's shortcomings and being in a balanced to run heavy offense. Otherwise, I could easily see him has a finalist for the Biletnikoff. He will go down not just as one of my favorite WR's, but one of my favorite Wolverine's ever.
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November 3rd, 2016 at 7:02 PM ^