Community - Armenian Reporter

12 The Armenian Reporter | May 24, 2008CommunityThe newest addition to the nflLinebacker AlainKaratepeyanbecomes free agentwith the DallasCowboysby Tenny IssakhanianAvanesianDALLAS, Texas – Armeniansare about to increase their representationin the nfl as Alain Karatepeyanjoins its ranks. The LosAngeles-born, Oklahoma-educatedlinebacker just signed a three-yearfree-agent deal with the DallasCowboys after graduating from theUniversity of Tulsa in May 2008with a degree in business management.On nfl Draft Sunday, Alain wasexpecting the call from Dallas thathe would get picked up in the 6thround in the end, as a scout had assuredhim. However, a recent injuryand the team’s sudden change in itsneeds compelled it to pick someoneelse. Instead, the team called Alainthe next day and signed him as afree agent.But he prefers it that way. “Witha draft, if you get picked by a team,you have no choice,” he says. “That’sthe team you go to. But as a freeagent, you can decide which teamyou want to join, where you fitbest.” And Alain has had plentyto choose from: the San Francisco49ers, Houston Texans, New YorkJets, Kansas City Chiefs, and DallasCowboys.So why the Cowboys? “I fit perfectlyinto their defense,” Alain explains,rationally considering thecontribution he can make to theteam. Teamwork aside, Alain adds,“And it’s the Dallas Cowboys. Whynot go to a team that had a verygood chance of winning the SuperBowl the last couple of years andis the most televised team in thenfl?”According to Alain, every year,a team drafts six-seven playersand offers free agency to another15-20. Fortunately, he need notcompete against all 15-20 of theCowboys’ free agents for a placeon the 53-member lineup thatdresses at each game of the seasonor for a place on the 80-personroster. “I’m not competingagainst anybody right now. I’mthe only rookie guy who’s a linebacker,”Alain says. “So I’m competingto earn a spot by takingsomebody else’s spot, somebodywho’s already in there.” And theprospects look good. “I’m justcompeting with someone who’sonly been in the nfl for one year,but he’s also new to the team…He didn’t play at all last year.”Sport of choiceAlain’s initial exposure to footballwas a fluke, a challenge thathe accepted. “I always played basketball.I never played football,” hesays. But all that changed when hischildhood friend encouraged himto try out for football. Alain initiallydismissed the comment. “Andmy friend said, ‘Yeah, you don’tlook like a football player anyway.’”Alain recalls fondly: “I didn’t likethat comment, so I went out thereand made the team.” Until today,his friend will not let him forgetwho awoke in him his dormant talentfor the sport.Nearing his high-school graduation,Alain was recruited by numerouspac-10 schools, includingUSC. But after he tore his kneeduring his last game and had reconstructivesurgery, “RecruitingAlain is a local hero with many fans in Tulsa.Alain Karatepeyan and his biggest fan and father, Levon Karatepeyan.University of Tulsa’s championship rings when it won Conference USA in 2005.went away,” he explains. “Theyknew I couldn’t play so a lot ofteams backed down. But BoiseState stayed with me.”Alain matriculated there. Dueto his knee injury, he was a redshirt his freshman year and didnot play the entire season. Whencoaching changes occurred, Alainleft Boise State, went to a juniorcollege, played one year there, andbecame All-American. “If I was totransfer to another four-year universityfrom Boise State, I wouldhave had to sit out that wholefootball year, whereas if I went toa junior college, I could still playthat year and get recruited to playsomewhere else the next year,” heexplains. A successful year of play,combined with Alain’s coach’sconnections at Tulsa, earned hima full scholarship and a spot onthe University of Tulsa GoldenHurricane team.The Tulsa yearsDuring his three years at Tulsa,Alain was named “Player of theWeek” several times at Conferenceusa, his team won the conferencechampionship game twice, and atthe last game of his college careerhe became “Defense Player of theWeek.”Alain and his team played andwon the Liberty Bowl back in 2005.They also played in the ArmedForces Bowl and the gmac Bowl.The gmac Bowl was particularly rewarding.“The score was 63-7. It wasthe largest margin in college history,”Alain announces proudly. Thatgame also earned him an individualrecord. “I needed three tackle-forlosses[tfl] to take the school record.I got six that day, so I took theschool record with 22 tfls,” he says.“So that was a nice honor to have.”All this glory has come at a price,of course. In his short seven-year career,Alain has had total reconstructivesurgery on his right knee andsuffered an assortment of shoulderand neck injuries. “I’ve been in constantpain for the past seven years,”he admits, quite amused. “Throughthe season you’re in constant painbecause you don’t have time to heel.As soon as the game is over, thenext day, you practice again. Thereis no recovery time.”But like a true champ, Alain refusesto let these temporary setbackscloud his focus. “I’m not tryingto get hurt, but if you try toavoid getting hurt, you’ll get evenmore hurt,” he ponders wisely. “SoI just go out there and play and justdo what I do.”And that he does. A particularlymemorable game for Alainwas that against the Universityof El Paso. The score was 31-12 inEl Paso’s favor. “So I go out there,third down and long, I hit thequarterback, and, when I hit him,the ball pops up in the air, I catchit, and score a touchdown,” Alainremembers. Even though this momentwas years ago, the exhilarationof it all has not waned inthe slightest. He continues, “Afterthat touchdown, the momentumshifted and we just came back andscored and scored and scored.”Perhaps the turning point of thatgame is sentimental for anotherreason: Alain’s father.Alain Karatepeyan (#44) plays defensive linebacker in agame against Tulane University.A father’s prayerAt the very moment that the ballpopped up in the air at the gameagainst El Paso, Alain said a prayerto himself. Little did he know thathis biggest and most devoted fan,his father, did the same.Alain’s father, Levon Karatepeyan,preferred basketball forhis son. Nevertheless, he wasalways unequivocally and absolutelysupportive of Alain’s choice.“I mean, there were times whenI doubted going into the nfl. Isaid, ‘I don’t know if I want to go.I don’t know if I can go,’” Alainremembers. “So when he passedaway, I decided that I have to go.I would do whatever it takes. Idon’t care if I have to break somethingto make it there.” It wasthat sheer will and determinationthat caught the eye of the nfland earned his current contractand opportunity with the DallasCowboys.During Alain’s first year atTulsa, although Levon was battlingcancer, he flew out to everysingle game without exception. “Ididn’t know he had cancer at thetime,” Alain says. “I found out afterthe last game of my first year.He had to tell me because his hairwas starting to fall out.” DuringAlain’s second year at Tulsa, hisfather’s hip began to give out buthe was undeterred by his use ofa wheelchair. “And he still came.Yeah, he still came,” Alain states,referring to his home games thatyear. Even before Alain’s matriculationat Tulsa, Levon was alwaysthere. “He went to every game,basketball, football, even showedup at practice.”The big El Paso game that standsout in Alain’s mind was anotherbonding moment for him. “Afterthe game, when I told my dad thatduring the game’s turning point, Iprayed to God to help me do somethingout there, he told me that heprayed too at the same time,” Alainsays. “He didn’t know I was praying.When he told me this, it just startedmaking me cry because that wasalso the first time I ever saw mydad in a wheelchair.”Looking aheadWith the support of the Armeniancommunity, his family, and aguardian angel named Levon, Alaincounts his blessings and appreciatesthe journey so far. He alsolooks ahead and anticipates thegreat things it will do for him andhis family. And it already has.“Football has done a lot for me,”he says. “It’s just kept me straight,kept me in school… It’s broughtmy family a lot closer and I lovethat.” Alain is mature beyond hisyears, perhaps because of recentlife circumstances, or perhapsbecause he is a role model to histwo younger brothers. In any case,he admits, “Football has built mycharacter. So I really appreciatewhat I have.”We appreciate what he has too,both in terms of values and athletictalent. To get a first glimpseof the budding football star as heprepares for the upcoming nfl season,be sure to catch him on hbo’s“Hard Knox” in early August, whenthe show documents the Cowboysat their training camp in Oxnard,California. If all goes well there,Alain will be dressed and on thefield on August 8 for the pre-seasongame against the San Diego Chargers.Stay tuned!