Follow-up: Clemson Hero gets NCAA waiver

by Roger Sinasohn (Subscribe to Roger Sinasohn's posts)
Sep 17th 2006 3:06PM

Filed under: Teens, Siblings, Day Care & Education, That's Entertainment

It seems that Ray Ray McElrathbey, the 19-year-old Clemson University football player who is the sole guardian of his younger brother, Fahmarr, has been granted a waiver by the National Collegiate Athletic Association so that he can get assistance in raising his brother. Normal NCAA guidelines prohibit student-athletes from receiving gifts, cash or other benefits not available to the general student population; this meant that, for example, that a coach's wife could not take care of Fahmarr while Ray Ray travels to away games.

According to the NCAA press release, "McElrathbey will be allowed to receive assistance from university staff and family related to local transportation and child care for his younger brother. A trust fund may be established to coordinate financial contributions to cover their normal living expenses."

Key for McElrathbey has been getting people to pick up his brother from school and getting "some help from grown-ups looking after Fahmarr," according to Clemson athletic department spokesman Tim Bourret. Ray Ray noted he was most "excited about the ability of the Clemson athletic department staff being able to give Fahmarr a ride to and from school, and to be able to take care of him when I am on the road with the team. That will solve a lot of problems. That was a constant worry."

There are plans in the works to establish a trust fund to coordinate financial contributions to help pay for normal living expenses. McElrathbey was also featured as the Person of the Week on ABC World News Tonight -- rightly so, if you ask me. I am very glad to hear he got the waiver. Thanks to the commenters who passed on the good news!